Half Moon
by DimensionSlip
Summary: Months after The Fall was averted, Aragaki Shinjiro is back at Gekkoukan High, making the most out of a life without Arisato Minako. This is the story of how his life turns upside down once more when his beloved returns in the form of an amnesiac girl.
1. Introduction: Chance Encounter

_Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Persona 3 or any of its reincarnations. All creative rights to the characters named in this story belong to Atlus. I do not profit from this story, yada yada yada._

Summary: Months after The Fall was successfully nipped in the bud by the Nyx Annihilation Team, Aragaki Shinjiro is back at Gekkoukan High, making the most out of a life without Arisato Minako. This is the story of how his life turns upside down once more when his beloved returns in the form of an amnesiac girl. [Note: This story also takes place after an implied Answer. Details of how I twisted it can be found in my post-chapter A/N for Chapter 3.]

Rating: T, for the occasional swear word.

Genre: Romance/Drama, served with a dash of humor, because I can't help it. A better way to put it would be slice of life with some supernatural elements thrown in.

Warning: This piece of fiction is very Shinjiro-centric, so if you don't like him, now's your last chance to back-off. Also, since this is a sequel, expect spoilers for both The Journey and The Answer.

Hello everyone, Kaylee here. I will not bore you with a ridiculously long pre-chapter A/N, so if you want to learn about how this story came to existence, you may visit my profile for a fairly short history lesson.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this fic!

[Edit] Story semi-rewritten as of February 17, 2013

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><p><em><span>October 3, 2009<span>_

"It would be really great if Shinjiro-senpai went back to school!"

The girl turned back and smiled at the man seated on the park bench. The moon was nearly full, and it illuminated the structures around the playground, giving the slides, the jungle gym, and the seesaws a fairly pleasant, bluish glow. The air was pleasantly cool that night, easing the mood of Shinjiro, the man seated on the bench.

His face creased into a laugh. He stood up, approached the brunette, and ruffled her chestnut brown hair, almost messing up her hair pins. She giggled at his touch, blushing a bit at the contact.

"Hey, that's not funny," Shinjiro replied, although he chuckled at the mere thought of going back to school. He placed his hands inside the pockets of his peacoat and added, "And I told you to cut the "senpai" crap. It's 'Shinjiro', and hell if I go back to that…" He chose a very colorful word to describe a certain well-known institution of learning.

The brunette pouted at him. "If you come back, we'll be able to see more of each other!" She grinned at him. "You could join me in Fuuka's cooking club, and teach us how to cook! Come on, it will be fun!"

"Woof!" A gray shiba inu bounded up to them, running circles around them excitedly.

"See, even Koro-chan agrees with me!" she added.

Shinjiro can't help but let out an amused smile. "We'll see, Arisato." He resisted commenting that Koromaru was probably just excited to be back at his master's place, which has been his home for most of his life.

"Hey! I told you to drop that name! I'm Minako!" she glared at him in annoyance, playfully punching Shinjiro on the shoulder.

"If you promise to stop calling me 'Senpai', I think I'll reconsider…" he said nonchalantly.

Minako's eyes suddenly lit up at those words. "So… I'll be seeing you around in school?" She gazed at him with puppy-dog eyes.

Shinjiro slapped himself on the forehead, nearly dragging his beanie down. Damn, those ruby-red eyes were devastating on her. Averting his eyes from her, trying to hide the blush creeping to his cheeks, he replied, "I was talking about how we addressed each other, but since I'm going to hell anyway, why not."

He embraced Minako tightly and kissed her lightly on the forehead, surprising the girl. At this time, the shrine was mercifully empty except for the three of them, so it was safe for him to drop the tough guy act. "You're cold," he said as Minako's cheeks burned red.

"Not anymore." She closed her eyes as she snuggled closer to him, burying her face into his coat.

Using one of his hands, he gently pulled out her ponytail holder and let her brown locks fall into place. "You should wear your hair down more often." he whispered. "It keeps you warm, and..." He hesitated for a moment, then continued, "It suits you, too."

She chuckled at his words. "Alright… Shinjiro." Locking eyes with him, she added, "You'll have to go to school to see that, though."

A pregnant pause followed. Gazing into her crimson eyes, he chose to forget the implications of the next day and said, "It's a deal, Minako."

~o~

September 2, 2010

_Another day in this hell hole called high school_, Shinjiro thought. That morning, he practically dragged himself out of the flat he shared with Aki in order to make his way to Gekkoukan High.

In fact, it was amazing he had a high school to attend in the first place. Considering that he mysteriously stopped going to school during the second semester of his first year in high school, and rarely attended classes during his junior and senior years, the school was very reluctant to take him back in. Coupled with the reputation he was getting around the streets, things weren't looking pretty for his readmission to the school. Kirijo had to pull a lot of strings to get him back in school. After much negotiation, he was enrolled as a senior student of Gekkoukan High.

Damn, he owed Kirijo big time. He wondered what it said about himself, bothering to keep his promise to a dead girl.

~o~

"Aragaki-senpai, are you going to Cooking Club today?" A teal-haired lady shyly approached Shinjiro at lunchtime. "I need to work on something for the Tech Club, so I might not be able to make it…"

Shinjiro sighed. "I suppose I can drop by, Yamagishi-san," he replied. He had nothing better to do before his part-time job starts, after all.

"Oh, thanks!" she said, a little surprised at his acceptance. Understandable, because ever since that incident, he had been avoiding Cooking Club like the plague.

"Fuuka! Can you help me with this problem? All these sines and cosines are like, confusing me!" A pig-tailed girl from class 3-F approached the girl named Yamagishi.

"Alright," Yamagishi replied to her classmate. "Senpai, I'll be taking my leave now." She gave a light bow to him, and left his side.

~o~

"For today, we'll be making spicy pepper pasta," Shinjiro announced to all the Cooking Club members gathered around the Home Economics Room. "Don't do any shit that isn't written in the recipe, and we'll get along fine."

Every now and then, he went around the room to check on how the others were progressing on their pasta, dropping comments every now and then.

Once he was done with his pasta, he mused about a certain incident that happened a few months back.

~o~

__April 26, 2010__

_During the start of the term, he agreed to join Yamagishi's cooking club, thinking that it will be just the two of them, and maybe a few enthusiasts. Every student was required to join at least one club, so he might as well stick with something he enjoyed doing. All was well for the first few weeks, but things took a turn for the strange during one fateful lunch break._

_"Wow, Fuuka-chan, these fries you cooked taste amazing!" a classmate of hers commented, taking another fry and biting into it._

_Yamagishi blushed at the compliment. "Thanks!"_

_"Mmm, this is even better than what you usually make," another classmate approached Yamagishi's table and took a fry and bit into it. "Oh, I didn't mean anything bad by that!" he hastily added, noticing Yamagishi's alarmed expression. "I mean, your cooking has improved since the beginning of the semester, and I'd like to give thanks to your mentor for your wonderful cooking…"_

_"I see…" Yamagishi gave an involuntary glance at Shinjiro, who was seated on his armchair by the back, near the window. He looked up from his book, sensing her eyes on him. Their grey eyes met, and the girl quickly looked away. Male A and Male B were following her gaze._

_"No way!" the two exclaimed in unison, catching the attention of their classmates. Since lunch break was close to an end, many were back in the classroom. Everyone fell silent at the outburst, staring at the two. Their gaze shifted to Yamagishi, who was blushing wildly, and then to the man who was reading a book. Unable to ignore the deafening silence and all the eyes boring down on him, he closed his book with a loud slam. He carefully met each person's gaze. Most of them looked away pretty quickly._

_The teacher arrived shortly thereafter, and his classmates hastily made their way back to their seats._

_Since then, people have considerably loosened up towards him. Some even dared to joke around him, others even asked for cooking tips from him. In addition, more people felt inclined to join the Cooking Club, all thanks to his unusual hobby._

~o~

Once everyone was done, Shinjiro closed the lights, made sure every electronic device was off, and locked the door of the club room. Deafening screams greeted him as he was exiting the Home Economics Room.

"Oh my God! It's Akihiko-senpai!" A gaggle of girls crowded around one of the exits. A silver-haired man emerged from the throng, ignoring the fawning and gushing over him. He had to shrug off a few girls clinging onto his arm.

He approached Shinjiro, who was standing outside the Home Economics Room, hands folded over his chest.

"Looks like your fanclub is still going strong, Aki." Shinjiro commented as they started walking down the corridor.

'Aki' groaned. "Don't remind me, Shinji. I thought things would die down once I graduated, unfortunately I underestimated their determination."

Shinjiro held back an amused smile. As usual, Aki was still hopeless when it came to understanding members of the opposite sex. "Tch, makes me wonder why you accepted the coaching position in the first place."

"Hey, I had to make sure they weren't slacking off after I left!" he replied defensively.

"Tch." Shinjiro rolled his eyes at his friend's excuse. "By the way, what's with that get-up?" he asked, eyeing Aki's outfit a little dubiously.

"Oh, you mean this?" The silver-haired man was wearing a brown, long-sleeved shirt, together with a red necktie, topped by a black vest. He still wore his trademark black gloves, black slacks, and black loafers. "We had to dress somewhat formally today, since the school had a special guest."

By then, the two have reached the entrance gates of the school. "I see…" It was the first time he saw that outfit, which he knew was too dressy for Aki's taste. He wouldn't discount the possibility that Kirijo has something to do with picking it out. "Here's dinner, it's leftover pasta from Yamagishi-san's club." He handed over a plastic bag to his friend. "I have to go to work, so I won't be back until midnight."

Aki accepted the bag. "Thanks. See you later, then." He palmed his friend on the shoulder, and left.

Shinjiro was about to walk in the opposite direction when someone came out of nowhere and crashed into his side. His black messenger bag slipped from his shoulder. The zipper split, promptly spewing its contents on the ground, where it lay.

He swore as he crouched down to pick up what were once the contents of his bag.

"I'm so sorry!" The person who crashed into him started to apologize profusely.

He looked up after hearing the female voice, which sounded strangely familiar. She was already bent down, helping him pick up his things. He first noticed the pale hands that were placing his things back inside his bag. He paused for a moment, studying the girl. She was a student from his school, judging by the school uniform she was wearing. In addition, she had long, wavy, chestnut brown hair that reached up to her back, bangs pulled back by some unusual hairpins styled to look like the Roman numeral XXII.

The hairpins should've given it away, but it was those ruby-red eyes that sealed the deal and made the color drain out of Shinjiro's face.

"You…"

* * *

><p>So far, that's it for the first chapter. Sorry for the cliffhanger! I'll try to write a longer chapter next time. xD Next update will probably be next week, since I have some exams coming up.<p>

Random: Why is Shinjiro back in Gekkoukan High? I assumed that he rarely attends class, but manages to pass the exams, so the teachers have no choice but to move him up a year every time. To a certain extent, the Kirijo Zaibatsu's clout played a role in his continued admission to school. Unfortunately, he was out cold for majority of the second semester, so I assumed there was no way he'll pass senior year. Not even with Kirijo's influence.

Honestly though, I thought it would be really interesting to see him back in school, even if he was older than most of the students. Ohohoho.

Another Random Note-slash-Trivia: I know that this particular chapter is very short compared to my later chapters which are about two to three times longer than this. Originally, I planned for each chapter to amount 2000-3000 words (a habit back from my high school days), but a good friend encouraged me to write longer chapters, and thus the word count of the upcoming chapters inflated to 6000-7000. The latter would be the standard I'm aiming for. I just thought I'd clarify that matter for those who are confused regarding it. This also doubles as an explanation for those people who might be turned off by this chapter's word length.


	2. Out of Thin Air

_Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Persona 3 or any of its reincarnations. All creative rights to the characters named in this story belong to Atlus. I do not profit from this story. Either way, it's not like I'll get rich from this._

First of all, I would like to thank **Kent Vonce** and **Elleon Stormwrath** for beta-reading this chapter. I really value the feedback you guys have given me.

To my readers: As promised, I wrote a longer chapter this time. :)

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><p><span>September 2, 2010<span>

Chagall Café, with its plush, semi-circular, green couches, square tables topped with green checkered table cloths, soft, carpeted floor, and demure paintings on light brown wallpaper, provided an excellent place for its customers to relax. The soft glow from the hanging lights and the smell of roasted coffee beans added to the lazy atmosphere. Since most of its clientele were people coming from school or work, this was welcome.

In the kitchen, a different kind of atmosphere was cooking.

A man with a black crew cut was busy shouting orders. "Aragaki! Where are the two grilled cheese sandwiches Table 4 ordered?" he barked at a man wearing a white bandanna and apron, "They're not going to cook by themselves, you know?"

"Coming," Shinjiro replied dully, adjusting his bandanna. He decided it would be prudent not to mention that he almost forgot to turn over the sandwiches cooking on the grill, which resulted into a cooking time that was longer than usual.

After taking care of that order and making sure there were no more dockets queued, he went back to what he was doing while cooking: processing what happened outside the school. He took a stool from under the prep table, wiping some sweat from his forehead. Once he was seated, he rested his elbows on the metallic surface and reflected on what transpired that afternoon.

~o~

_That time, the sky was a brilliant red, and the clouds were starting to turn gray as the sun started to set. The color of the sky blanketed the town with a beautiful orange glow, including the two individuals by the school gate._

_"You…" he stared at the girl who was kneeling on the ground, picking up the pens that spilled out of his bag. He couldn't help but notice, the sky brought out the color of her hair pretty well. A soft glow, like a halo, gave a translucent feel to her chestnut brown hair. He had the sudden urge to run his hands through her hair. Fortunately, he succeeded in keeping those thoughts, and most importantly his hands, to himself._

_The girl looked up, meeting his gaze. "I'm… sorry?" she said uncertainly. She handed the pens to him. Wordlessly, the senior accepted the pens from her, and stuffed them in his bag. A few students, stragglers from late club sessions, were exiting the school, oblivious to the couple outside the gate._

_Noticing that the guy didn't stop gawking at her, her tone changed from apologetic to cold. "I already said I was sorry. Anyway, I think all your things are accounted for." Her ruby eyes narrowed at him, challenging his gaze._

_Annoyed, she stood up and tore her eyes away from him. She paused for a few moments to straighten out her blouse and skirt, which were a little rumpled after the crouching she had to do. As an afterthought, she looked back at him and said, "Will you stop staring at me? It's rude to stare at a lady, you know."_

_Shinjiro could've sworn the girl's cheeks flushed pink before she left him._

_The sky was beginning to turn purple, which made him realize he was about to be late for work. After testing the bag's zipper, which fortunately still worked, he dashed towards Paulownia Mall, hoping that he would make it on time for his shift._

~o~

Unbelievable. That girl was a spitting image of the only girl he ever loved. However, there was no way in God's good world you can bring the dead back to life, so... how?

He took a seat on the wooden stool near the prep table. Resting his head on his right palm, he laid his elbows on the table, just wondering how a girl like that could possibly exist.

Evil twin? Nah, as far as he knew she was an only child.

Time Turner? No way, since he just looked at the calendar and digital clock at the shop, and it was still September 2, 2010. Also, the last time he checked, none of them were wizards. Summoners, probably, but never one of those cloaked bastards that waved around wooden sticks while chanting Latin.

Certainly, she wasn't a sparkly vampire that preyed on animals instead of humans.

After going through more theories, each wilder than the last, he decided to give up temporarily on thinking about the girl.

It was timely, considering the growing number of dockets that were lining up in front of him.

~o~

After his shift was over, he returned to the flat he shared with Aki. Their apartment was located in a three-storey brownstone house, near Tatsumi Port Island. It was a little far from their old dorm, but it was quite convenient for accessing the monorail, which was just one block away.

He reached the house just before midnight. Their landlady, an elderly woman named Mitsuko, was waiting by the door when he arrived.

Mitsuko greeted him with a gentle smile. "Welcome back, Shinjiro-kun." She slowly walked past him and locked the front door.

"Kitam-" he stopped mid-word to correct himself, recalling the elder's preferred name, "Mitsuko, I told you, you don't have to wait for me this late at night. We have keys to the door, after all."

He didn't want to impose on the old woman, but she insisted on waiting for all of her tenants to return to the house before she retired. "Don't you have a bookshop to run tomorrow?"

The old woman turned to him and replied, "Is it wrong to be worried about my family? I can't help but be worried about you youngsters. Out so late at night, don't you know how dangerous that is?" She began fussing over him like a mother hen, straightening out creases and wiping off dirt on his turtleneck where she could see them, despite the fact that Shinjiro was about to go to sleep anyway and toss the used shirt in the laundry pile.

He decided not to mention that he can take care of himself just fine, or even better than your average Joe. Arguing with her would just delay their much needed rest, after all.

The woman stopped fussing all of a sudden, remembering something important. "You have school tomorrow. You need some rest." Gripping his wrist tightly, she dragged him across the lounge's wooden floor, practically pushing him towards the foot of the stairs.

"Good night, Shinjiro-kun," she said solemnly, letting go of the brunet.

"Good night, Mitsuko." He replied. Adjusting his bag strap, he climbed up the stairs to his room on the second floor. Unlocking the door quietly, he entered the room he shared with Aki. Hanging his school bag on the coat stand near the door, he slipped past his sleeping friend and collapsed on an empty bed, drifting into an exhausted sleep.

~o~

_September 11, 2009_

_He met Mitsuko's husband last year. It was during his third evening trip to Wakatsu with Minako. They already exited the restaurant and were about to leave the mall when he encountered the white-haired man wearing a white sweater and blue jeans. The old man had a brown pipe to his lips, staring intently at a glass door. The door belonged to a shop called Bookworms._

_His brows furrowed in concentration, he nearly jumped a mile when Minako bounded up to him and greeted, "Bunkichi-san!"_

_After getting over his surprise, Bunkichi put down his pipe and smiled at the girl, "Oh, Minako-chan!"_

_The two hugged each other. "Bunkichi-san, you don't usually close the shop this late, right?" Minako looked around in concern. She seemed to be searching for a person. "Where's Mitsuko-san?"_

_"Ah, she had to leave early, since she had to supervise the people remodeling our house," he replied, "Since it gets very lonely, what with only two of us living in that large house, we decided to turn it into a boarding house, because we like having kids like you around!" His face broke into a wide, toothy grin. "Maybe you want to live with us, Minako-chan?" he asked excitedly._

_The girl in question laughed. "Sorry, Bunkichi-san, I'll have to pass." Noticing the man's crestfallen face, she quickly added, "I'll keep your offer in mind, though, in case we have to move out or something."_

_The man smiled once more. "Hohoho, just kidding Minako-chan. I know you're happy where you are. If you have trouble with your living arrangements, don't hesitate to ask, there will always be a room for you in our home!"_

_He turned his attention to the other teen, who was watching their whole exchange from the entrance of the mall._

_"And who might this be, Minako-chan?" he inquired, glaring at the slouching youth, who had his hands inside the pockets of his coat. The older man took in his outfit: a beanie, a black turtleneck topped by a red longcoat, a pair of black slacks, and a pair of black loafers._

_Needless to say, Bunkichi did not approve._

_"That's Aragaki Shinjiro-san." Minako replied. "He's my senpai, and we live in the same dorm."_

_"Ah, Aragaki-senpai, I almost forgot my manners! This is Kitamura Bunkichi-san, the one of the owners of Bookworms." She gestured towards the closed shop. Shinjiro glanced at Bunkichi, and promptly looked away when he saw the man's face practically screaming his dislike for him._

_"I see…" Giving Shinjiro a dirty look, he looked down on the ground, muttering to himself, while "smoking" on his pipe, which had no smoke coming out because it was unlighted. Shinjiro could've sworn he heard things that sounded like 'out this late at night', 'kids these days', 'living together', 'intentions towards her'._

_"Is he your boyfriend?" he asked suddenly, casting a fierce look at Shinjiro._

_"Huh? I- well, No!" Minako's cheeks flushed red. Laughing nervously, she added, "We're just friends."_

_Bunkichi seemed to be relieved, especially when he noticed Shinjiro nodding in agreement._

_"Arisato." Shinjiro finally spoke. He pulled out his pocketwatch, and gestured towards it._

_"Oh!" Minako exclaimed, realizing how late it was. "Bunkichi-san, I'm afraid we must return to the dorm. Take care on your way home!"_

_"All right. You take care too." Bunkichi replied gruffly. Shinjiro decided not to ask if "you" meant both of them, or just Minako._

_Bidding each other goodbye, the old man left, while the two walked back to the dorm._

_"Sorry about that, Shinjiro-senpai." Minako apologized. "Bunkichi-san was just… concerned."_

_"Nah, it's okay, I'm used to that." Shinjiro replied, assuring their leader that he had no qualms about Bunkichi's strange behavior. It could've been worse. He did understand where the old man was coming from._

_"I'm not… boyfriend material." He muttered under his breath, sighing._

_"Did you say something, Senpai?" Minako peered at him curiously._

_"It was nothing, Arisato."_

_Both of them continued their walk in silence._

~o~

_September 13, 2009_

_That particular Dark Hour, Minako was far from being her usual upbeat self. Selecting Amada, Koromaru, and Shinjiro as members of her party, she impatiently waited for them at the entrance of Tartarus. Yamagishi, their backup, wished them luck as they prepared to climb the tower._

_114F. Minako, their leader, wordlessly led the party through the newly opened pathway._

_115F. "Something seems very different about this floor. The enemies are different, too. I'll scan the floors above you. Please give me some time." Yamagishi said._

_That woman really had the knack for stating the obvious. Of course, something was different about the floor. From a bluish temple theme, they entered a place resembling something from ancient Rome. Instead of having marble floors, the floor was a startling golden yellow. It was possible that the new block was made out of gold._

_However, instead of being in an exploratory mood, their leader instructed them to look for the stairs and avoid battle at all costs._

_116F. "Can you go up a little higher? I'm having trouble sensing what's ahead."_

_Similarly, their leader told them to split up and look for the stairs._

_117F. "I sense something… But I need more time to determine exactly where it is… Please proceed cautiously."_

_Again, they were ordered to split up and find the stairs._

_118F. "I know where it is now! The 122nd floor. Please be aware."_

_Shinjiro suddenly realized something. None of them were complaining about Minako's orders. Rather, none of his fellow party members were in the position to question her unusual commands._

_Amada was a kid. A mature kid, but still, he was in elementary school. He was essentially Minako's kohai, so in the kid's eyes the girl would command a certain level of respect._

_Koromaru… was a dog. He's very smart and talented for a canine, but his main mode of communication would always be barking and whimpering. Still, he was a loyal and cheerful dog, so he probably won't complain and just take everything in stride._

_And he… what was he? He wasn't younger than her, and he certainly wasn't a dog._

_Confused, he was about to speak up on Minako's interesting choice of party members when Koromaru barked, signaling that he found the stairs._

_119F. "How are you feeling? Please don't push yourself too hard."_

_Yet again, they were asked to look for the stairs. After seeing the determined and worried look on Minako's face, Shinjiro changed his mind about mentioning the party members, and proceeded to do as she asked._

_120F. "You are almost to the 122nd floor. Please be careful."_

_Minako was about to order them to split up once more, when Yamagishi suddenly exclaimed, "There's someone on this floor! Find them, please!"_

_Apparently, this was the announcement she was waiting for. She told them to split up and search for the missing person._

_It was a break from searching for the stairs, anyhow. Thank you, Yamagishi._

_As luck would've had it, Shinjiro was the one who found the person. He announced, "Hey, come here. I found someone…"_

_There was something familiar about the crouching man, who was cowering in fear. That white sweater, where did he see that before? When he spotted the brown pipe lying by the man's feet, that's when it dawned on him._

_It was Bunkichi, the owner of the bookshop. No wonder why Minako was very worried._

_Shinjiro picked up the pipe and was about to hand it to the man when the rest of the party caught up to him. He pocketed the pipe for now, seeing as the man was in probably no condition to hold anything._

_Minako, upon seeing the shivering man, breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness!" She knelt down next to Bunkichi and gave him a reassuring hug._

_The old man looked up, dazed. "Minako-chan, is that you? Am I in heaven?" He looked around, confused._

_The girl's response was to hug the man tighter. "No!" She began to sob. "Everything's going to be fine… I'm so sorry this had to happen to you, Bunkichi-san!"_

_Shinjiro, noticing that their leader was in no position to issue commands, relayed to Yamagishi, "Hey Yamagishi, can you warp us to the entrance now? We found the missing person."_

_"Roger, Senpai," she replied. Without further ado, Yamagishi warped the five of them out of the floor._

_The remaining SEES members were surprised to see their normally composed leader bawling her eyes out. Aki was about to open his mouth to say something, but Shinjiro gestured for him to shush._

_Shinjiro approached one of the members, an elegant woman with long, flowing red hair. "Kirijo, we'll have to cut our visit to Tartarus short. Our leader is in no condition to continue."_

_"I suppose so. The four of you must be exhausted," Kirijo gestured to Shinjiro, Amada, Koromaru, and Minako. "You will go back to the dormitory. The rest of us will bring Mister…" She cast a questioning glance at Shinjiro._

_"Kitamura. Kitamura Bunkichi-san." He recalled from their meeting a few days ago._

_Kirijo nodded. "Alright. Then the rest of us will accompany Kitamura-san to the hospital. The four of you, take care on your way back to the dorm."_

~o~

_September 14, 2009_

_Shinjiro, Amada, Koromaru, and Minako made it back to the dormitory, just as the Dark Hour was ending. The lights turned back on, and the lounge was bathed in light, the greenish tinge associated with the Dark Hour disappearing._

_Amada yawned. "I guess it's bedtime for me." He said to no one in particular._

_He ran across the lounge. Upon reaching the foot of the stairs, he turned around to the three, saying, "Good night, Koro-chan, Minako-senpai… Aragaki-senpai." Obviously hesitating on the last word, he ran up the stairs before anyone can say anything._

_Shinjiro heard the clicking of a door being unlocked, then a door being slam shut. Poor kid. He could not really blame him for his less than warm goodbye, as had a good reason to be intimidated by him, after all._

_"Arisato, are you sure you're alright?" Shinjiro asked Minako, leading her to the lounge. She seemed to be done crying, just wiping her red-rimmed eyes on the sleeves of her uniform._

_"Yeah." She hiccupped, and blew her nose on her white handkerchief._

_"Hold on, I'll get you some water." Shinjiro made his way to the kitchen, pulled out one of the glasses from the cabinet, and activated the cool water dispenser._

_He returned to Minako, who settled in one of the brown couches in the lounge and handed her the glass of water. She accepted it gratefully and drank the contents of the glass in one gulp._

_She set aside the glass on the coffee table next to the couch. "Ahh! That felt refreshing. Thanks, Senpai." She managed to smile at him. "I'm so sorry I worried all of you."_

_She took a deep breath. "I was… scared. I got a call from Theo a few days ago… He told me there was one human wandering around Tartarus… And that he was an acquaintance of mine!"_

_Shinjiro did not know who the hell this 'Theo' guy was, but he had the sudden urge to punch the daylights out of that guy. Who does he think he is, giving creepy, stalker-like calls to high school girls so early in the morning? Keeping his thoughts to himself, he continued listening to the girl's story._

_"To be honest, I totally forgot about his call. I only remembered this morning, when I realized that I had to get new equipment for our Tartarus trips… So when I went to the police station, I checked the bulletin board as it was my habit to do so… And I saw his name." The girl looked like she was about to start crying again._

_Alarmed, Shinjiro turned towards the kitchen to get another glass of water. However, Minako grabbed the edge of his coat, preventing him from leaving the room._

_"No… it's okay." She swallowed back a sob, tugging on his coat. He took it as his cue to sit down next to the girl._

_She continued, "We've been rescuing people from Tartarus for a few months already… But this was the first time I had to rescue someone I knew personally."_

_"I felt so guilty leaving Bunkichi-san in that place. He's like family to me…" She bit her lip._

_"I know it was just about two hours for him, but still… it must've been a terrible experience for him." She cringed. "This wouldn't be the last time we will be rescuing people lost in Tartarus… I just can't imagine what would happen if someone like Maiko-chan, Akinari-san, Mutatsu-san, or Tanaka-san got lost in there…"_

_Wait. Tanaka-san? As in THE Tanaka-san with the TV home shopping show that sold dubious products every Sunday morning?_

_"To think I haven't given much thought to the people we rescued… They must've suffered a lot too…"_

_Shinjiro groaned. So this was what she was worrying about? He didn't give a damn about Maiko-chan, Akinari-san, Mutatsu-san, or Tanaka-san, but he couldn't leave a depressed Minako behind._

_He absentmindedly ruffled the top of her head, "No use thinking about what could have been, or what could happen in the future. If you can't imagine what will happen, then don't. Let's just do our best, and live for the present." He had a hard time believing the words that were coming out of his mouth, but he was hoping the girl would buy it._

_Minako saw right through him, and laughed, "Senpai, you are a terrible actor."_

_"Tch, I made that all up so you'd feel better!" he replied indignantly._

_"Well, you succeeded, I feel much so better now." She gave him a wide smile to prove that she wasn't lying. "Thank you, Senpai."_

_He looked away from the girl, hiding the blush creeping up to his cheeks. Adjusting his sitting position, he felt something bump against his shin when his coat fluttered. Oh yeah, the pipe. "Hey Arisato, you should return this to him." He brought out the brown pipe belonging to Bunkichi._

_"Oh no, Senpai. I think you should be the one to return it." She smiled mischievously, pushing the pipe back at him._

_"Tch, fine, whatever you say," Shinjiro sensed what the girl was planning. He supposed it was a perfect way to make amends with Bunkichi, even if he wouldn't remember anything about what happened in Tartarus._

_Checking his pocketwatch, he added, "Anyway, it's getting late. You'd better rest, you'll be going to school in a few hours, you know."_

_"Wha- Oh yeah! I suppose I have to sleep, even for just a few hours."_

_She stood up. Before heading for the stairs, she turned to the senior, "Good night, Senpai."_

_"Good night, Arisato," he replied._

_"Minako."_

_"Huh?"_

_"Call me Minako," she insisted._

_"Why this all of a sudden?" he questioned the girl._

_Minako blushed. "Ah… never mind! Call me whatever you want."_

_Dodging his question, she added, "Oh, and Senpai, thanks for cooperating with me back in Tartarus. You probably noticed my choice of partymates," she let out a nervous laugh, "I picked you because I felt that even if you noticed something strange about my behavior, you'd approach me only when the time was right, or if I'm going overboard." She beamed at him._

_This was the first time he met a girl whose level of perceptiveness rivaled his. It was true, what she said. Aki would probably be itching to kick Shadow butt, so he wouldn't be very happy with avoiding battle. Kirijo was not the type of person to follow instructions without a proper explanation. Aigis was her self-proclaimed bodyguard, so separating her from Minako would be more trouble than it's worth. He didn't know about the remaining juniors, but judging by their degree of closeness, they would've pestered Minako with a lot of questions while they were climbing up the tower, causing unnecessary delay._

_"Heh, just go to bed already."_

_"Whatever you say, Senpai." She parroted her words back at him, but nonetheless, got up with a smile and started towards the stairs._

~o~

_September 15, 2009_

_The following morning, he visited Bookworms. The man they rescued would probably be just exhausted. His ordeal in Tartarus can be easily cured by a good night's sleep, since he had no external injuries to speak of. Sending him to the hospital was a mere formality, to make sure the Dark Hour was kept secret._

_He was starting to have second thoughts about seeing Bunkichi, as it was likely that the man would accuse him of stealing the pipe._

_"Welcome to Bookworms. Bunkichi and Mitsuko at your service! How can we-" Bunkichi froze when he saw Shinjiro enter the store._

_"Forgive my husband, he's getting old." apologized his wife, an elderly woman wearing a lavender duster adorned with violets, coupled with a black apron._

_Wanting to get this over with, Shinjiro went straight to the point, "I came here to return this." He brought out the pipe._

_Bunkichi gave him a surprised look, which turned into a look of suspicion. Pushing up his glasses and moving closer to inspect the pipe, he inquired, "Where did you get this?"_

_"It's your pipe, dear. Just take it," said Mitsuko._

_She faced Shinjiro and said, "Thank you so much for returning this pipe…" She gave him a questioning look._

_"Aragaki Shinjiro," the teen replied._

_"…Shinji-chan." Shinjiro did a double take at her words. Shinji-chan? The last time he was called that was when he was six years old, back at the orphanage._

_Compared to Bunkichi, Mitsuko took a liking to him at once. "You see, my husband, ever since he went missing, kept on saying something about a bunch of kids saving him from being eaten by a black blob. Bless his poor soul!"_

_Looks like the Kirijo Group needs to work on their memory modification techniques, Shinjiro thought._

_"Shinji-chan, it was a good thing you found his pipe. You'd never guess how worried he was about that object. He finally admitted he was going senile when he can't remember where he last placed it!"_

_Bunkichi finally found his voice. "Mitsuko, don't you see how uncomfortable he is? Just call him Shinjiro-kun."_

_Good Lord, if it were anyone else calling him Shinji-chan, he would have given them the old black-and-blue treatment._

_He turned to Shinjiro, taking the pipe from him. "Young lad, looks like I was wrong about you." He admitted gruffly. "You have my blessing. Take care of Minako-chan."_

_"What the fuck?" For some reason, as he swore, he felt his cheeks burning. Mortified, he turned away from the couple._

_Instead of being taken aback by his interesting choice of words, the old couple laughed._

_Mitsuko smiled at him. "Don't mind him, Shinjiro-kun." She glared at her husband and said, "Dear, they're not going to get married, okay?"_

_Turning back to Shinjiro, she said, "You see, Minako-chan's like family to us. The poor girl doesn't have any parents, right? She may seem tough on the outside, but she really needs someone to take good care of her. You'll do that at least, right? As a friend?" The old woman looked up at him hopefully._

_He slowly looked back at them. "Huh? Whatever. As a friend. Okay, I get it." He sighed once more, partly in frustration, partly in relief, for he felt his face's color returning to normal._

_And so began his awkward relationship with the couple that would soon become his landlords._

~o~

September 3, 2010

The following day, Shinjiro stepped inside Classroom 3-F and made his way to his seat at the back row, near the window. As usual, the atmosphere was abuzz with gossip.

"Did you hear? There's a new transfer student joining Class 3-F!" one of his rumor-loving classmates declared. Shinjiro hung the strap of his messenger bag on the bag holder, tuning out the pronouncement.

"Sweet. Male or female?" someone asked.

Before anyone could reply, the bell rang, and everyone scrambled for their seats as their class adviser, Toriumi, entered the room.

The composition teacher slammed her hand on the teacher's desk to get the class's attention. Some of the class jumped from their seats. Once all the murmuring settled down, she finally spoke. "As most of you know, our class will be getting another student." She nodded towards the doors.

A girl with wavy chestnut brown hair entered the room and approached the teacher. Her hair reached halfway through her back and was topped by four familiar-looking hairpins. Absentmindedly curling strands of her long hair, she smiled cheerfully at her classmates.

"Class, this is Arisato Minako-san." Toriumi continued. The girl next to her bowed and said, "Please take care of me!" Withdrawing from her bow, she smiled once more.

The only ones who didn't smile back were a brunette wearing a pink cardigan over her uniform, a baseball-cap wearing youth sporting a goatee, a blonde wearing a headphone-like hairband, and of course, Yamagishi Fuuka and Aragaki Shinjiro. The five looked at each other in shock and confusion.

The brunette looked around in shock, noticing the oblivious smiles of her fellow classmates. "Junpei…" she turned to the capped guy next to her. "You remember, right?" she whispered urgently.

"Yukari…" He was as shocked as she was, but he managed a nod. "Yeah… but they…" he also scanned the class, "…they don't." His eyes widened in surprise. No one was commenting that the girl in front of them was supposed to be dead, and there was no indication that these guys attended her funeral a few months ago.

On the other hand, the blonde continued to stare blankly at the 'new' student.

Yamagishi just wore a look of confusion, scanning her classmates' faces to see their reactions at the newcomer.

Takeba, the girl in the pink cardigan and the one called 'Yukari', looked back and gave a sympathetic glance at Shinjiro, who was gripping his pen pretty tightly.

He stood up all of a sudden, turning over his armchair. It landed on the ground with a resounding crash, spilling his things on the floor. Everyone in class 3-F turned to look at the source of the sound, some blinking in confusion. They froze when they saw the senior standing up, his expression unreadable. Minako's eyes widened in surprise upon recognizing him as the person she bumped into yesterday.

His gaze lingered on 'Arisato Minako-san', who met his gaze with equal intensity, as if daring him to do something. It was reminiscent of their staring match the other day. After what seemed like an eternity, which lasted about five minutes, he threw in the towel for their staring contest, and marched out of the classroom.

~o~

Aragaki Shinjiro was not new to the concept of cutting classes. In fact, he would probably admit that he has mastered the art of it. Nonetheless, he welcomed the fresh air and outstanding view provided by the school's rooftop. Overlooking the sea and the windmills that turned lazily, this backdrop provided the perfect place for him to sleep during class hours.

It was the first time he ever walked out during class. Normally, he never made that kind of scene. It's either he attended the class, or not at all. Talk about out of character.

The wind felt good on his shoulder-length hair. He walked around the square structure supporting the door. Finding the steps, he climbed up the said structure. Taking off his blazer, he breathed in the fresh air and stretched out on the roof. He preferred lying down here compared to the semi-circular benches available at the rooftop.

Once again, he slapped a hand to his forehead, wondering what the hell just happened back in the classroom.

It was one thing, bumping into a carbon copy of his lover outside school. Having to be classmates with one who looked like her AND shared her name was enough to make him wonder if he wasn't just some sort of cosmic plaything.

Come to think of it, it wasn't so farfetched, considering who was holding the power of The Universe.

Looking up at the expanse of blue, "Minako… Can you hear me?" he murmured. "There's a girl here who looks exactly like you. Yeah, down to the very last hairpin." He sighed, adjusting his legs to a more comfortable position on the cemented rooftop. "She even has your name. Would you believe that?"

Staring blankly at the sky, he whispered, "Are you… really back?"

~o~

_March 5, 2010_

_Shinjiro was walking around the lobby of Tatsumi Memorial Hospital. His whole body felt awkward, after all those months he spent bedridden._

_He woke up last week, around three in the morning. When he tried to get up, he was greeted by the sound of annoying machine beeps and bleeps. One of the machines started to ping loudly. The commotion caused one of the patrolling nurses to enter his room._

_When she entered the room and saw the youth trying to sit up, her face paled as if she saw a ghost. The nurse immediately called for a doctor, and in a few minutes his room was filled with doctors and nurses expressing delight and surprise at miraculous recovery._

_His chest ached a bit when he inhaled and exhaled. The doctor did remind him that he got shot on the chest by two high caliber rounds, even if one of the bullets was somewhat deflected. Damn that Hippie Jesus._

_Up to now, it still felt like his legs had the consistency of jelly. Exhausted after around five minutes of walking, he sat on one of the blue chairs in the waiting area._

_That day, he insisted on wearing his signature outfit. Seeing nothing wrong with his request, the doctors finally allowed him to change out of his sickly green hospital gown into his black turtleneck and black slacks. Aki was also able to bring one of his spare black skullcaps to the hospital. His best friend also managed to buy a red pea coat that looked exactly like the one that he owned before. Unfortunately, his old coat was damaged beyond repair due to the two bullet holes on it. Another reason for him to hate Takaya._

_God, he loved that coat._

_Still, he couldn't help but think there was something important that he was missing. It has been bugging him for several days, actually. He knew that this day was supposed to be his graduation day. Due to unfortunate circumstances, aka being in a coma for approximately five months, he wouldn't be joining Aki and Kirijo during their commencement exercises. Not that he cared about it. Much._

_He brought out his pocket watch, which had a hole and crack down the middle due to the bullet that penetrated it. For some reason, he felt compelled to glower at it._

_Suddenly, everything came back to him. The SEES, Tartarus, October 4…_

_And the girl appearing in his dreams. The one who kept on calling him. Minako._

_The only thought in this mind at that moment was, "I have to see her."_

_His body on autopilot, he stood up and ran out the doors of the hospital, ignoring the calls of the doctors and nurses and the protesting of his chest._

_Something in the back of his mind told him that he'll find her at the rooftop of Gekkoukan High._

~o~

"Shinji!" Someone was calling out to him. The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't identify it just yet.

"Shinji!" It was the voice of a man. At that moment, he didn't want to get up.

"Oi, Shinji!" Something that felt like a left hook slammed against his cheek, snapping him out of his stupor.

"Ow… Aki, you should know by now how hard a boxing champ punches." Shinjiro mumbled. "I'm not a punching bag, dammit…"

"That wasn't even a punch, Shinji. I just tapped you awake." Aki replied. "It's almost nighttime, and I believe that we're the only ones left in the school besides the teachers."

"By the way, here are your stuff." He dropped Shinjiro's bag next to him.

Groggily, he pulled himself into a sitting position. He touched his right cheek gingerly. It felt sore, but otherwise, no dislocations. The sun was once again, crimson, just like yesterday.

"Aigis got worried, so she called me." He pulled out his cellphone and began to read out loud Aigis's message. "'Aragaki-san walked out of class this morning. We were unable to locate him since that incident.'"

"I got to admit, your hiding place is ingenious." Aki remarked. "So, what got you so worked up early in the morning?" He cast him a worried look.

"I saw her," was Shinjiro's flat reply.

"Her?" There was only one person that could make Shinjiro say something like that. "But isn't she…" Aki glanced at him, confused.

Shinjiro frowned. "I know Aki. Precisely the reason why I had to get the hell out of there to make sure my mind wasn't shitting me."

Aki nodded in understanding. He knew that his friend often dreamed about Minako, but not to that extent. "Was it your imagination, then?"

"No. My encounter with her yesterday, I could probably dismiss as something my mind made up. But seeing her in class today was one hell of a mind screw." He groaned in frustration. How can a girl, dead for several months, be alive at that very moment?

"You saw her yesterday?" Aki looked a little hurt at the revelation. "Why didn't you mention this to me?"

"Idiot, she showed up right after you left, actually." Shinjiro shot back, a little annoyed at Aki's display of childishness. "When I returned to the flat, I didn't want to wake you up to discuss something that I could've imagined."

Aki's hurt look changed into an apologetic one. "I see. Sorry about that. Hmm… should we meet with the old crowd to discuss this turn of events?"

"Might as well." Shinjiro shrugged noncommittally.

"Okay, I'll make the arrangements, then." Aki picked up his phone once more and started dialing, while Shinjiro stared blankly at the darkening sky.

~o~

September 4, 2010

Shinjiro did not want to go to school that morning. But with some prodding from his best friend, he dragged himself out of bed and made his way to Gekkoukan High.

He was running late, though. Sliding Classroom 3-F's back door quietly, he slipped inside the room. Miyahara, the math teacher, was already lecturing on the finer points of conic sections.

His plans to enter class without catching much attention were ruined when he saw that his chair was already occupied by a certain female named Arisato Minako.

* * *

><p>Poor Shinji, I wonder how he's going to handle that.<p>

Next chapter will be out around in a week or two. :P

Thank you, **shinjixminako-lover0** and **thehiddenshadow**! Those reviews I got from you guys felt like energizers. :O


	3. Reunion

_Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Persona 3 or any of its reincarnations. _If I owned it, I would've included The Answer in P3P, so people like me wouldn't be so confused when writing events that take place post-Answer. _All creative rights to the characters named in this story belong to Atlus and I certainly do not make money off this story._

* * *

><p><span>September 4, 2010<span>

Everyone's eyes were on the latecomer. Even Miyahara ceased writing on the board. Silence fell over the room, as everyone was holding their breath, waiting for him to act.

What in the world should he do?

a. _Tell the girl to fuck off. _Not a good idea. The two of them may have gotten off the wrong foot, but if he wanted to get information of her, he should start being cordial to her, instead of acting like a nut case every time they met.

b. _Walk out._He did it yesterday, and if he did it again today he'd look like a total drama queen. Oh no, anything but that. Not the words he wanted to associate with himself. Besides, what he did the other day was totally out of character for him.

He chose not to do any of the above. Ignoring their stares, he scanned the classroom, looking for an empty seat. Coincidentally, there was one at the fourth row, a little towards the middle. Not his favorite spot, but it will do. He made his way to the available armchair, slung his bag on the bag holder, and parked his butt on the seat. Placing his hands inside the pockets of his blazer, he slouched on his chair and stared at Ms. Miyahara, expecting her to continue the lesson.

Noticing that he wasn't making any more moves, some of his classmates let out a disappointed sigh. Were they really expecting him to pick a fight in the middle of class? Wow, he never realized his antics were that entertaining.

Realizing that she stopped writing on the board, Miyahara cleared her throat to catch her class's attention. "Ahem, where was I? Hmm… The foci of a parabola…"

Amidst the collective groan of the whole class, the math lesson continued.

~o~

Shinjiro pulled out a small bento box from his bag. He was about to stand up and eat his lunch outside the classroom when Toriumi entered the room and approached him.

Towering over him in his seat, she sighed deeply. _Fair enough, considering she had a lot of explaining to do._

According to her, you have to be physically present in order to be considered a student of her class. So by her applying her standards, she was justified in placing Arisato Minako in Aragaki Shinjiro's seat.

What she never expected was for the owner of the seat to be back so soon. Due to the confusion regarding the seating arrangement, she had to be called in to fix the situation.

"Aragaki-san, from now on, that will be your seat," she declared, "I don't want to hear anymore complaints, got it?"

Shinjiro cocked an eyebrow at her. "Whatever," he replied, disinterested. Who said he was complaining? He certainly wasn't going to miss getting his face half-tanned on scorching hot days.

Toriumi ignored his casual way of answering. "I'm glad we have come to an understanding, then." Noticing her student's vacant stare into space, she let out a frustrated noise and took it as a signal to leave the room.

As soon as Toriumi was out of the room, Shinjiro snapped back into action. He stood up once more, grabbed his bento, and proceeded to exit the classroom.

He was almost out the doorway when someone behind him called out, "Aragaki-senpai!" It was Yamagishi.

_Senpai, senpai, senpai._It's all Iori's fault. For some reason, he had a hard time kicking the habit of calling him 'Senpai', and his classmates caught on to that annoying tic. Because of that, the word stuck. At first, he kept on telling them to drop the honorific, but no one would listen to him. So much for being a 'senpai', if his 'kohai' wouldn't give him their time of the day. Eventually, he gave up trying to correct everyone.

"Are you going to Cooking Club today?" She blushed as she raised the question, casting a hopeful look at him as she waited for his answer.

"Sorry Yamagishi-san, I think I'll have to pass." An irritated Shinjiro replied, itching to eat his lunch in peace.

"I see…" Yamagishi tried to hide her disappointment. "Alright, Senpai, see you tomorrow, then." She hurried back to her seat.

Tomorrow? It was a Sunday the next day. He didn't recall making plans with Yamagishi. He scratched his head in confusion, wondering what the hell that was all about.

Someone entered the classroom, nearly bumping into him. Iori's eyes widened in surprise when he saw Shinjiro standing behind the door.

"Oh! Hey, Senpai!" Junpei got over his initial surprise and grinned widely at him. "Akihiko-senpai rang us up yesterday. Mentioned something along the lines, 'We need to talk.' Duuuuuuude, I seriously thought he was going to confess his undying love or something." He chuckled.

Shinjiro managed not to groan at the younger man's gay joke. Iori continued, lowering his voice, "Turns out it wasn't that. He mentioned something about Mina-tan's lookalike." He quickly looked around the classroom, relieved to see that the girl in question was nowhere in sight.

Something in Shinjiro's mind clicked. He dimly remembered his conversation with Aki at the rooftop, something about getting everyone together. That morning, Aki also mentioned something about a meeting tomorrow at Naganaki Shrine.

His tone became serious. "Senpai said that we'll be discussing it tomorrow, huh? It's been a while since the SEES have assembled… I never imagined it would be in these circumstances." Iori was about to say more, but a quick glance at the classroom's wall clock made him clam up. "Well, don't let me keep you, senpai! Enjoy your lunch!"

_Or what's left of it_, Shinjiro thought, seeing that there was only half an hour of lunchtime left. He nodded in acknowledgement as Iori waved goodbye. He exited the classroom and was walking down the corridor when someone called out, "Aragaki-san?"

The words came from a strangely familiar voice. With a turn of his head, he came face-to-face with none other than 'Arisato Minako', also known as the girl who stole his seat.

"I need to talk to you," she said warily, looking for eavesdroppers over his shoulder and behind her as well.

"Now?" he inquired, giving her a somewhat skeptical look, wondering as to what she might want from him.

Nervously twirling her hair, she quickly added, "It's not that urgent. Go finish your lunch first," she glanced at her wristwatch anxiously. "Are you available after school?"

As luck would've had it, he was free that afternoon, thanks to his rejection of Yamagishi's invite earlier. Feeling a little guilty, but not enough to reject this new invitation, he spoke,. "I can spare some time, I guess."

"Alright. See you at the rooftop later, then?" She managed a smile at him. "Enjoy your lunch, Aragaki-san." With a bow, she then ducked into the classroom behind him.

Shinjiro brought out his pocket watch and checked the time. He did not have enough time to eat his lunch outside and make it back to class on time. He scowled. _Wow, he was unusually popular this lunchtime._ Grumbling at all the wasted time, he trekked back to his classroom and decided to eat his lunch in his seat.

Sitting down on his armchair, he opened the lid of his bento box. Of course, he knew what was inside. After all, he was the one who cooked it. Taking out his chopsticks, he proceeded to eat his beef yakiniku.

"Ooh, Senpai's food looks really tasty," said a male classmate with a layered haircut.

"Ahh, Senpai, can you teach us how to do that in Cooking Club?" a girl with a brown bob shyly asked him.

"Mmm… heavenly," mentioned another male, this time with a taper cut.

Shinjiro tuned out the buzzing around him. He was almost done with his food when Mr. Edogawa, the school nurse-slash-substitute teacher, entered the room. His classmates immediately scrambled for their seats.

"Ah, looks like someone's still enjoying his lunch," the nurse commented dryly as Shinjiro was placing the last piece of beef in his mouth. Feigning ignorance, he ate the last of his lunch. Chewing on his food, he glared at the teacher, daring him to call him out on his behavior.

_Nosy kids._ And that was the reason why Aragaki Shinjiro did not enjoy eating inside Classroom 3-F.

~o~

Shinjiro was the first to arrive at the rooftop after class. He sat on the semi-circular bench nearest to the rooftop entrance, waiting for the girl who requested a meeting with him.

Five minutes later, he heard someone bounding up the stairs. Something banged against the rooftop door, which groaned under the weight of the girl who blasted through it.

"S...sorry... Tori...umi...sensei... called...," she panted out. Closing the rooftop door, she approached the waiting man and carefully laid her backpack on the bench.

"No problem," he replied, "Catch your breath first."

For awhile, the two stared at each other in silence, with only the sound of the windmills turning lazily and the girl's heavy breathing to keep them company. A refreshing breeze cooled the rooftop, somewhat lightening the mood between the two.

"You see-" Shinjiro started to say.

"I have to-" At the same time, the girl opened her mouth.

An embarrassed silence fell over the two.

"You go first," he said firmly, "After all, you're the one who wanted to talk."

"Okay then," she took a deep breath, then sat down next to him, "First of all, I want to apologize for taking your seat. Toriumi-sensei told me it was her class policy or something, so I thought it was okay..." she paused for a moment, then continued, "Although honestly I wasn't really comfortable with doing what she said. So... sorry about that!" She stood up and bowed deeply at him, her body forming a perfect imitation of a 90 degree angle.

"It's not a big deal," he waved it off for emphasis, as if swatting an imaginary fly, "Is there anything else?" he asked pointedly, "Because you could've mentioned it at lunchtime." Seriously, she called him out here just to say that?

The girl withdrew from her bow, sat down again, and puffed her cheeks in annoyance. "How was I supposed to give you this, then?" She picked up her pink backpack and started to fish for something. She pulled out a long, narrow, red paper bag and placed it next to Shinjiro.

"It's not like I can give this in front of the whole class... or in that corridor..." she rambled on.

He examined the bag. Inside was a bottle of soy sauce. In fact, there was even a red ribbon on tied on the neck of the bottle. Bewildered, he raised an eyebrow at her.

Flustered, the brunette looked away from him, trying to hide the blush creeping up to her cheeks, "Iori-san suggested that… He said you liked to cook, and you were about to run out of soy sauce… So…"

Oh boy, he wanted to kill Junpei. That moron. How did he know about that their soy sauce bottle was close to empty? "You didn't have to get me this." He pushed the bag towards the girl.

"No, take it," she insisted, pushing it back at him, "Well, think of it as an apology gift. For yesterday and for crashing into you the day before that." She grinned at him sheepishly.

He sighed. "Fine, then…" As an afterthought, he mumbled, "Thanks for the gift."

The girl's smile widened in delight. "So, Aragaki-san, what were you about to say awhile ago?"

"It's nothing important."

"Oh, come on! That's not fair, I said my piece already; it's your turn now!"

The man let out an audible groan. "I was just going to say that you resemble someone I know," he muttered under his breath, not meeting her eyes. "You look exactly like her..."

"Hmm? Really?" Apparently, she heard his words.

He didn't know why, but he added bluntly, "She died a few months ago."

The girl looked at him in concern. "I see… So that's why you were so surprised to see me." She blew some of hair from her face, taking a deep breath. "You must've been close… To be honest, I don't remember anything about last year," she admitted, "It's really weird, I can remember the year before that, and stuff, but the past year's a total blank for me." She laughed bitterly. "The doctors diagnosed me with retrograde amnesia. Apparently, something so traumatic happened to me recently that I locked up some of my more recent memories."

Shinjiro remained deadpan throughout her revelation. Noticing his expression, the brunette stopped speaking and gave him a bemused smile. "Not even a word, huh? Most people usually say 'Aww… that sucks' or 'You poor thing'."

"Aww, that sucks," he said monotonously.

She looked at him in astonishment, and then let out a snort, followed by a guffaw. Clutching her stomach, she tried to control the laughter coming out of her, to no avail. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she said in between laughs, "You're… an interesting guy… Aragaki-san…"

Suddenly, the rooftop door burst open, revealing a familiar-looking silver-haired man.

"There you are, Shinji!" Aki waved at him. "I made plans-"

And of course, Aki stopped dead on his tracks when he saw the other person present in the rooftop.

"Ah, I see that you're busy," he gave his friend a knowing look, "I'll wait for you at the second floor, then."

Shinjiro stood up and replied, "No need, Aki, we're done talking." He gave a sideway glance at the girl sitting on the bench, who managed to nod in agreement, getting over her laughing fit.

"Thank you for your time, Aragaki-san," she rose with as much dignity as she could muster, and gave him a light bow.

"…Whatever you say, Arisato-san." He paused for a moment, realizing that it was the first time he called her by a name other than "you".

"Do you want us to walk you home… Arisato-san? It's getting late, after all," Aki offered.

"No need…." Minako gave the silver-haired man a questioning look.

"Sanada Akihiko," the senior introduced himself, "I graduated from Gekkoukan High a few months ago. Currently, I'm one of the coaches of the boxing team." He paused for a moment, then corrected himself. "Assistant coaches, that is."

"I see…" the girl nodded, impressed. "Sanada-senpai," she continued, "My dorm's a little far away, and it's not yet that dark. I think I'll be able to manage."

She looked up at the sky, which was turning orange. "Thanks for the offer, though." She smiled at the two.

"Okay then, Ladies first," Akihiko gestured towards the open door, and faked a bow at the girl.

She giggled. "If you insist." She picked up her bag, bowed to them, and exited the rooftop, waving goodbye to the two guys before disappearing into the next floor.

When she was out of sight, Shinjiro commented, "Aren't you being too friendly to her?" "And that doorman act?" He rolled his eyes. "Really dorky, Aki."

Aki's normally pale face turned crimson. "B-better than freaking out every time I see her," he pointed out defensively. "By the way, what's in the red bag? Is that... a soy sauce bottle?" He eyed it in disbelief.

Shinjiro chose not to reply to that statement.

~o~

September 5, 2010

On Sunday, Aki and Shinjiro were the first to reach the agreed meeting place, Naganaki Shrine. The former smiled nostalgically at the sight of the empty playground. The sun was just beginning to rise, illuminating the slide, the seesaws, and the jungle gym that were repainted recently. There was a peaceful aura surrounding the shrine. The wind blew gently, causing some of the shinboku's leaves to fall.

To the surprise of Shinjiro, he nimbly climbed up the jungle gym, and settled on one of the green railings at the top.

"Come on, Shinji, join me here!" invited Aki, gesturing for his friend to come over.

"No thanks, Aki, I'm staying here with Koro-chan," he answered, noticing the grey shiba inu that was approaching them.

Shinjiro adjusted the collar of his black turtleneck, and shifted his skullcap a little to the left. He opted to wear his usual turtleneck, black slacks, and black loafers, but decided to eschew his red long coat. He took a seat on one of the nearby wooden benches, with Koromaru tailing him. Setting aside the plastic bag containing their food, he started scratching the back of Koromaru's ears.

A few minutes later, Takeba, wearing a pink spaghetti-strapped top and denim pants appeared, climbing up the shrine stairs. Panting, she approached the bench next to Shinjiro and plopped on it.

"Aargh, these sandals…" she managed to pull out the one on her left, "are a big pain in the…" she shook off the brown three-inch heeled espadrilles on her right foot, "arse!"

He simply raised an eyebrow at Takeba's choice of footwear.

"Ahh, that's better!" she relaxed, stretching her legs. Noticing that she was not alone, "Oh, hello, Senpai," she greeted Shinjiro, who grunted in acknowledgement.

"And… Koro-chan! Nice to see you again!" The dog barked happily at the attention and allowed Takeba to stroke his fur.

"…Akihiko-senpai!" she was a little surprised to see the senior sitting at the top of the jungle gym, but nonetheless managed a smile at him.

"I have arrived," declared Aigis, a blonde wearing the Gekkoukan High winter uniform. She moved towards where the others were seated.

"Aigis!" Takeba greeted the blonde. "How were the cats outside the dorm?"

"They're fine now, thanks to the Super Cat Food we bought from the pharmacy," replied Aigis. "I remembered to lock the door to our apartment," she added as an afterthought.

"Oh, you'd better, Aigis!" threatened Takeba.

Upon seeing the serious look on Aigis's face, Takeba burst out laughing. "Just kidding, Aigis! Come on, have a seat!" She moved to her right, making space for the girl.

Aigis smiled at her. "I suppose it will still be a while before I get used to your jokes, Yukari-san." She sat down next to Takeba, and greeted the dog that approached her, "Hello, Koro-chan."

She turned to the person wearing a black turtleneck, "Good morning, Aragaki-san," and then looked up at the man sitting on the top of the jungle gym, "…and Sanada-san."

A little later, the sound of bickering disturbed the peace of the shrine. "I told you, I can manage by myself! Do me a favor and wait for me in the car instead of following me around!" A woman with long, wavy red hair-Kirijo-was arguing with two men wearing suits. Extremely chagrined, her eyes narrowed at them threateningly. "If you don't leave me alone right now, I'll make sure to take care of your execution personally."

The men immediately scurried away.

Straightening the edges of her white ruffled blouse, and wiping off some imaginary dirt from her black pencil skirt, she made her way to the playground, her high-heeled stilettos making a light tapping sound against the cobblestone.

Aki spotted the redhead immediately. "Mitsuru!" He yelled, immediately scrambling off the jungle gym, nearly snagging his white jeans on one of the bars.

A look of disapproval crossed her face when she saw what her old friend was up to. "Akihiko, it is good to see that college life is treating you well," she said sarcastically, "It has done wonders for your maturity."

He gave her a sheepish smile and wiped his hands nervously on his red shirt.

"Senpai!" Takeba stood up to greet her senior. Koromaru bounded up to Kirijo, wagging his tail.

"Hello, Yukari," she acknowledged the brunette, smiling a little. "Why are you barefoot?" she asked, puzzled, since Takeba's outfits were usually well-thought out. The absence of footwear by far was an unusual choice, even for a normal person, as Shinjiro reasoned to himself. Then again, did Mitsuru know that, or was she thinking it was some sort of fashion statement by Takeba?

"Oops." Takeba grimaced. She hastily started putting her shoes back on, struggling a little with the straps.

Kirijo's attention then shifted to Shinjiro, who was relaxing on the bench. "Aragaki, I arranged a doctor's appointment for you this afternoon."

He cast an annoyed look at her. "What for?"

"I know that you've been given the seal of good health last month, but the doctors just want to make sure that the drugs are out of your system," she replied, placing one hand on her hip, "No relapses or anything."

He groaned. "They don't trust me, do they?"

"Aragaki, I know what you're thinking," she warned him, her brown eyes flashing dangerously. "Don't you dare skip out on this checkup."

"Okay, Kirijo, I get it." He sighed in annoyance. "I'll be there, if that will get you off my back."

"I'm glad we've come to an agreement," she said, letting out a small triumphant smile.

It was beginning to get warm. Shinjiro wiped some sweat building up on his brow, and was tempted to roll up the sleeves of his turtleneck when he spotted a kid with short brown hair-Amada-running up the stairs.

"Sorry, we're late!" panted Amada. He was followed by Yamagishi, with a cooler bag slung on her shoulder.

"Ken-kun! Fuuka!" Takeba greeted them, finished with putting on her sandals.

Koromaru tackled Amada, licking his face. "Ow.. Koro-chan, that tickles!" he cried out, giggling, trying to push the dog off to no avail. Eventually, the shiba inu relented, and allowed him to get up.

Standing up a little shakily on his white rubber shoes, he said, "Oh no, my clothes are dirty," looking sadly at his once brown turtleneck. In addition his light brown shorts had a little dirt on them.

Koromaru whimpered, as if to say he was sorry.

"It's okay, Koro-chan," Amada assured him, "Nothing a good brushing off can't solve." As he was saying this, he began to wipe off the dirt using his hands.

The dog's eyes lit up, reverting to his normally jolly mood.

"What's up?" Junpei, wearing a blue polo and blue jeans came up the stairs. Noticing that a certain girl was having some trouble with her bag, he swooped in to save the day. "Let me help you with that, Fuuka," he said gallantly, taking the cooler bag from her. It was surprisingly heavy. He hoisted the bag on his shoulder, grunting a little.

"Thanks, Junpei," she replied gratefully. She started to straighten out her aquamarine blouse, making sure it was still tucked in neatly in her black pleated skirt. She adjusted her white bolero, realigning the sleeves.

The pair made their way to the assembly at the playground. Spotting the pair, Aki stopped leaning on the jungle gym and approached the group gathering around the benches. "Ahem." He faked a cough to catch their attention. "Since everyone's accounted for, can we start with the meeting already?"

Everyone turned to look at him. "Mitsuru says she has some information for us. Why don't we start with that?" he said.

"Alright. First of all, I visited the cemetery yesterday. Arisato's grave was nowhere in sight," she announced to them.

Everyone's eyes widened in shock. She sighed, and continued, "I asked the graveyard keepers and sweepers what happened, but they don't recall seeing a grave on that particular hill. In fact, they don't even recall the instructions I gave regarding her burial grounds."

Aki gave her a questioning look. Seeing this, she said, "Hmm? I just told them to keep the area clean and to have a fresh bouquet of flowers laid out everyday. In any case, they kept on denying that I made such instructions, and insisted that there was no grave on the hill in the first place."

"Another strange occurrence happened when I dropped by Tatsumi Memorial Hospital afterwards. As you know all know, the Kirijo Group owns the hospital. I asked them to alert me whenever an interesting patient comes along."

Noticing the strange look Shinjiro was giving her, she glared at him, "I was making sure that all Apathy Syndrome cases are taken care of, and the like. For some reason, I wasn't alerted when she visited the hospital last Thursday. The doctors should have been familiar with her, considering what happened last March."

Frowning, she continued, "To them, she was simply a new patient. Looking through her records, I learned that the doctors diagnosed her with retrograde amnesia, judging by the story she told them. Basically, she said that she doesn't remember anything about the past year, and a nagging feeling told her to visit this hospital."

"Just to make sure, they took an MRI scan, because of the amazing amount of lucidity she displayed. When I checked and reanalyzed her scan results, it turns out that there was nothing wrong with her brain. I wasn't expecting any damage to the temporal lobes or interbrain, but surprisingly, her hippocampus was intact."

Iori groaned. "Information overload, Senpai!"

"For the sake of Iori, in other words, Arisato's lookalike seems to have forgotten last year, but shows no sign of internal or external trauma."

"Still a little confusing, Senpai, but I think I get the gist of it." He shrugged. "So the question is, is that girl really Mina-tan?"

Kirijo sighed in exasperation. "I was getting around to that, Iori. Since for some unfathomable reason, her medical records disappeared from the hospital, I only have the basic information from the September 2 record to work with. Comparing that with based on what I can remember; I see no physical difference between the two."

She looked at each of the former SEES members in turn. "What do you all think? Since I haven't met the girl in question personally, I believe my opinion is somewhat unreliable."

"I think I can help with that," Aigis suddenly spoke up. "Minako-san's biological makeup is embedded in my circuits."

Everyone's attention was on the robot. No one dared to comment on how wrong that statement just sounded. "Analysis of her physical attributes reveals that she is not a shadow. Comparing the said analysis with my data on her, my sensors recognize her as the Arisato Minako we know."

"Aigis-san, so you mean to say, it's really her?" Ken asked in disbelief.

"My sensors are sensitive enough to tell apart identical twins, so yes, as far as I am concerned, she is Minako-san."

"I see your point, Aigis. Even without the memories from last year, she acts a lot like Mina-tan," Junpei said. "I talked to her yesterday, and she was really thoughtful and…" He saw the murderous look Shinjiro was giving him, and immediately closed his mouth. The others looked at the duo curiously, but did not press for details.

The blonde contemplated this information. "Although to be honest, my sensors aside, I feel that there's something off about her."

"I'm with Aigis," Takeba said. "So we know that she looks like her, and probably acts like her, but how come she doesn't remember any of us? The events Mitsuru-senpai just related convinced me that no one else aside from us seems to remember her." Aigis nodded in agreement.

No one could answer her question. A strange silence came over them as they brooded over Takeba's train of thought. Some of the girls began fanning themselves, due to the lack of shade in the area.

Shinjiro suddenly realized something. That damn watch she was wearing. It looked exactly like the watch he gave Minako a year ago. He was about to open his mouth to speak, but hesitated. If he told them about the watch, then, he'd have to explain why he's confident that the watch was indeed, the same as the gift he presented to her a year ago. He'd have to admit that he made the leather strap from scratch.

He imagined the expressions on their faces if they knew of this fact. Amada's jaw would probably drop, while Iori and Aki would either hold back their laughter or laugh at him outright. Kirijo would probably hide her amused smile behind her hair. Yamagishi's face would probably turn into a tomato and Takeba would most likely dissolve into a fit of giggles. Aigis and Koromaru would probably be oblivious to the hilarity of the situation, but will catch on to their friends' mood.

Shrine visitors started to mill around the area, some making donations to the offertory box, others drawing fortunes from the fortune box, and some praying in front of the Inari statue.

There was a man leaning on the chozuya. He was wearing a predominantly blue attendant's uniform, his platinum blond hair topped by a small blue cap. He walked past the inari shrine and stopped before the offertory box. After dumping the contents of his wallet into the box, he swung the rope. Then, he put his hands together in prayer.

The bell's ringing alerted the group that they were no longer alone in the shrine.

Aigis was the first to notice the man near the offertory box. "Theodore?"

The man turned around, wearing a mixed look of annoyance and surprise. Upon seeing the person who greeted him, his face softened. "Aigis-sama. Good to see you're in the pink of health." Noticing the group gathering around him, he quickly added, "And your friends too."

Everyone, except Shinjiro, nodded in acknowledgement. In contrast to the fairly pleasant reactions of the others, Shinjiro was glaring vehemently at the newcomer.

Aigis spoke, "I believe that you two are not acquainted yet." Turning to Theodore, she said, "Theodore, this is Aragaki Shinjiro." Glancing at Shinjiro, she said, "Aragaki-san, this is Theodore."

Shinjiro ignored his outstretched hand and looked away from him. Something in the back of his mind told him that he wouldn't get along with this guy. He tensed, hiding his clenched fist, afraid that he might be unable to resist the urge to break the pretty boy's nose.

The atmosphere was heavy for some reason. Trying to break the tension, Takeba asked, "So, Theo-san, how's the…" Unable to find words to describe the weird elevator structure in which he lived in, Takeba attempted to pantomime the place.

Theodore smiled sadly, his yellow eyes downcast. "Unfortunately, I am no longer a resident of the Velvet Room."

Yamagishi gasped in surprise. "How come?"

"I left of my own volition. For the past few months, I have been searching for a way to free Minako-sama from her fate as the Great Seal," he replied.

That caught Shinjiro's attention. While everyone was still shell-shocked at his words, he stomped towards the man and grabbed him by the collar. "Do you understand what you are saying?" Theodore stared defiantly at him, unfazed by his outburst. Shinjiro continued ranting. "You are perfectly aware what will happen when the Seal is broken, right?" He tightened his grip on Theodore's shirt, who remained calm-and still unfeeling.

"Aragaki, let go of him," Mitsuru said, placing a hand on his shoulder to restrain him. From the corner of his eye, Shinjiro could see that some visitors were beginning to look in their direction, whispering behind their hands, no doubt to discuss the scene unfolding in front of them.

"Minako… She wouldn't be pleased with what you are doing," he said quietly, letting go of Theodore's collar.

"As a matter of fact, yes, I am perfectly aware of the consequences of breaking the Seal," Theodore replied coolly, straightening his collar. "This is precisely why I'm looking for a way that wouldn't bring about the end of the world as we know it. Better than just sitting around and accepting her death for what it is."

"The only way to free her is for humans to stop wishing for Nyx's coming. Considering the shit everyone has to go through each day, this is an impossibility as of this moment," Shinjiro said, still glaring at him.

Theodore was about to retort when Aigis cut in. "Theo-san, were you able to find a way?"

"No, not yet," he said, sighing in frustration, "I had to interrupt my search for a while, because I sensed something unusual. Although my powers outside the Velvet Room are extremely limited, I felt Minako-sama's presence in this world."

"That pretty much confirms what Aigis said," Akihiko said.

"So the bottom line is, our new classmate is really Minako, minus the memories and character development?" Junpei reiterated.

"Yes, Stupei," Takeba responded testily, "I suppose all the evidence points to that." She sighed dramatically.

Kirijo pulled out her cellphone and read the time. "It's almost noon. I have a meeting at one, so I'm afraid I will have to leave in a short while."

"Mitsuru, won't you take something before you go?" Aki asked. "Shinji cooked enough gyudon for all of us, and I believe Yamagishi bought some drinks. Which reminds me, I think we left the plastic bag on the bench." He bolted towards the playground.

Kirijo managed a bemused smile at Aki's actions as Shinjiro resisted the urge to slap a hand to his forehead at the ridiculousness of his best friend's actions. When Aki returned, she announced, "Now that we have confirmed..." she hesitated on the last word, "…Minako's identity, I think it would be fruitful for us if we tried to act as normally around her as possible."

"What exactly is 'normal', Senpai?" Iori asked. _A good question._

"I suppose refraining from freaking out at the sight of her is a start. Make friends with her if you wish. But try not to ostracize her unnecessarily by virtue of how she looks like."

She turned to Theodore. "Theodore, could we count on you to keep us updated? Do you have a cellphone?"

"Yes, Kirijo-san. Here's my number." He brought out a slip of paper and scribbled his number on it.

She took the slip of paper from him. "Thanks. If you have any problems with your living arrangements, do not hesitate to approach me."

"And Aragaki…" She glanced briefly at Shinjiro.

He groaned, raising his hands in defeat. "…Okay, Kirijo, I'll be going to the hospital."

Her voice took on a strange tone. "No, it's not that. I know this turn of events is especially hard on you. Don't overdo it."

"Hmph. That sounds unusual, coming from you, Kirijo." He said. Lowering his voice, he muttered to himself, "Thanks for the reminder, anyway."

"I'll take my leave, then." Kirijo said. "Akihiko, you can give my share to Theodore."

"Thanks, Kirijo-san. It would be my pleasure to taste Aragaki-san's dish." Theodore can't help but smile mischievously in Shinjiro's direction.

Shinjiro swore under his breath, regretting he ever woke up at the crack of dawn just to cook for all of them.

* * *

><p>Yay, it's Ms. Toriumi and her evil chair-switching ways! I thought that would be a very interesting situation to put her into. It's a miracle she never got into trouble for doing that to her students. Evil, I tell you.<p>

I don't know if you guys noticed, but I placed all the SEES members (that are still attending Gekkoukan High) in one classroom. It's on purpose. xD

On the last part of the story: Honestly, I can imagine Akihiko doing that to Theo more than Shinji. O.o But since this is a Shinji x Minako fic, Shinjiro gets to do the honors. :3

And yes~ Theo-san. xD Theodore-san sounds so awkward, so everyone calls him Theo-san. Except for Shinjiro, who hates Theo's guts. And of course, Mitsuru, who addresses practically everyone by their last name, without honorifics.

As mentioned earlier, this story takes place after an implied Answer. Since I do not want to go through all the trouble of writing out a whole fanfic dedicated to the Answer for FeMC, here's a short summary of how I visualize The Answer, aka Episode Aigis, for the FeMC (rather, this particular fanfic):  
>-Aigis was still the person who gets the wild card.<br>-Metis was present during the March 31 event.  
>-Ken was the one who goes ape-shit instead of Yukari. With that said:<br>-Yukari was more rational in this version of The Answer.  
>-Akihiko supported Ken because the kid needed it (similar to the reasons why Mitsuru supported Yukari in the original Answer, although this one's related to his promise to Shinjiro during the October 4 incident).<br>-Shinjiro was not in the dorm that day because he was spending the night at the hospital for a check-up. He does dream about the Great Seal/Erebus sequence. Akihiko and Aigis fill him in on the events that happened in the dorm.  
>-Theodore replaced Elizabeth.<p>

Once again, thanks to **Kent Vonce** and **Elleon Stormwrath** for their story feedback. xD

**OhtaSuzuke**, thanks for the review. I'm glad you're interested in my story.

Next update may take a little longer. I will try my best to deliver in one or two weeks.


	4. Birthday

_Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Persona 3 or any of its reincarnations. The only characters I own in this fic are the randomly described generics in the story. All creative rights to the characters named in this story belong to Atlus and I certainly do not profit from this story._

Experimenting with a different conversational style. You have been warned.

Slightly tsundere Shinjiro, leaning towards dere. You have been warned.

First time I will be date-skipping. You have been warned.

Essentially a filler chapter. You have been warned.

* * *

><p><span>September 5, 2010<span>

It was already late in the afternoon when Shinjiro exited the laboratory at Tatsumi Memorial Hospital. Once again, he took out the folded sheet of paper from his pocket and peered at his results. As he predicted, the lethal persona suppressant drugs were completely out of his system. However, the doctors wanted him back at least once a month, "to monitor any potential side effects". He grumbled at wasting a perfectly good afternoon in the hospital. He certainly did not miss the cold marble hallways of the institution, the strict doctors and nurses who flipped out every time he made a movement.

A familiar-looking brunette came out of the door across the drug testing laboratory. He did a double-take upon recognizing the girl-or Minako, as Kirijo would have wanted them to think of her as. She was holding a large brown envelope, presumably containing X-rays. Upon seeing him, she grinned. "Good afternoon, Aragaki-san."

He hastily shoved the piece of paper back in his pocket. "Good afternoon, Arisato-san," he replied brusquely, suddenly very interested at the nameplate on the door across him. _Dr. Ryuta Kawashima, Neurologist_, it read. He should've seen this doctor instead, considering how messed up his mind was. He was tempted to run away at that point, as the sight of her still made him remember how he used to stare into the depths of her ruby eyes, listening to whatever mundane event happened in school. Laughing during those little moments made him feel human, instead of being the murderer that he was.

Talk about delayed reactions. Why was he suddenly this nervous? He had no problems facing her yesterday.

Remembering Kirijo's words, he painfully shrugged off those thoughts and decided to make an effort to be less of a spaz. He smiled at her awkwardly for about a split second. Realizing how weird that must have seemed, he immediately resumed wearing his perennial frown.

She must've noticed it, because she suddenly looked pleasantly surprised. "Aragaki-san, you should smile like that more often." Her cheeks flushed pink for a moment, then she let out a good-natured laugh. "Anyway, what a coincidence! I was just picking up my test results. How about you?" She tilted her head to the right, eyeing him questioningly.

"Drug test," he replied listlessly, barely meeting her eyes. Those eyes. That innocent, wide-eyed gaze that managed to see through his facade. He never revealed to Aki that he dreamt of her every night. He only went as far as to say that she appeared in his dreams often. The marble-tiled corridor suddenly felt very narrow, the bright lighting a little dimmer. He was running several ideas through his head, determining the best way to leave the girl without sounding very rude.

Before he could decide on anything, she spoke once more. "I see," she nodded, deep in thought. "Well, good news! The doctors said that even if I have amnesia, there's nothing wrong with my brain!" She laughed nervously this time. "Hmm, now that I think about it, that makes things more confusing, doesn't it? If I'm not suffering from brain damage, then why did I lose my memories? Ahh! My head aches just thinking about it!" She shook her head vigorously, as if trying to shake off a certain nagging feeling. "At any rate, enough about me. How were your results, Aragaki-san?"

After a long moment of silence, a thought suddenly dawned upon her. She gasped in surprise. "Ah… oh… Sorry for prying!" She bowed deeply in apology.

"…Idiot. It ain't like that, okay?," he protested, suddenly realizing the implications of his silence. Seeing the solemn look on the girl's face, he smiled wryly. Was she seriously thinking he was into drugs? Did he care what she thought of him? "Hahaha. Believe whatever you want to believe, then."

Her serious face immediately relaxed into an amused one. "Just kidding, Aragaki-san!" She laughed merrily.

He clapped a hand to his forehead, hiding his eyes from her. Duped again by that girl. Just like the old times, she really enjoyed making a fool out of him, didn't she? However, her enthusiasm, as always, was infectious. He tried to hide the smile that was forming on his lips.

"You're smiling again!" she exclaimed, grinning widely at him.

"No, I'm not," he hastily denied.

She was about to argue, but after glancing briefly at her wristwatch, she relented. "It's getting late. I need to get going."

She looked at him expectantly. What now? It looked like she wanted him to walk her home.

He pretended not to notice. "Okay, take care on the way home."

She made a face at him. "H-hey! You're supposed to offer to walk me home!"

Annoyed and amused at the same time, he managed to spit out, "Do. You. Want. Me. To. Walk. You. Home." instead of what he initially planned: a string of expletives that would shame the host of _Hell's Kitchen_.

She smiled at him smugly. "No thanks, Aragaki-san. I don't want to inconvenience you."

Was she playing with him again? Alright, two can play that game. "Sure, you go your way, I'll go mine." He started walking down the corridor.

Something clamped down on his wrist. It was her-Minako's hand. "Hey, you have to at least walk me to the station!" She protested, gripping his arm as if her life depended on it.

He gave up. Raising his free arm in surrender, he said, "…Whatever. It's on the way." Blushing at the contact, he added, still looking away from her, "And if you keep on clinging to me like that, you're going to drop your envelope."

Realizing what she did, Minako suddenly let go of him, turning away in embarrassment, hiding her face with the oversized envelope. "Why… did I do that?" Mortified, she slowly looked back at him, her eyes peeking from the edge of the envelope. "S-sorry if that made you uncomfortable, Aragaki-san. I… didn't know what came over me."

On the contrary, it was refreshing to feel the touch of her hand on his skin. Of course, he wasn't about to say that out loud. Instead, he opted to lie. "Forget it, Arisato-san." Personally, he was going to treasure that moment.

"First, the soy sauce bottle, now this… What in the world am I doing?" she wondered out loud.

At this point he had enough. "Come on, let's walk to the station already," he said, trying to hide his impatience.

"Err… You go on ahead, Aragaki-san," she replied meekly.

He sighed in frustration. "A second ago, you were raring to go."

"Like I said, I didn't know what came over me!" she replied in an unusually cranky voice. A dead silence fell over the two. Some of the people passing through the corridor stared at them in disapproval, whispering among themselves.

"Lover's quarrel?"

"Yeah, probably."

"I wish they wouldn't do it in the corridor, the place is narrow enough as it is."

Shinjiro took a deep breath, at the same time, Minako breathed in some air to regain her composure. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment. And then, she broke the tension by laughing out loud. "How silly of me…" Reverting to her usual joyful self, she announced excitedly, "Let's go, Aragaki-san!"

Oh, this girl's mood swings. He missed them so much. Hiding an amused smile, he accompanied Minako to the train station.

~o~

September 6, 2010

Shinjiro was the third person to arrive at Classroom 3-F on Monday. A male classmate seated in front was catching up on sleep, whereas another male classmate seated at near the back door was scribbling furiously on his worksheet. Shinjiro took his seat on the fourth row, brought out a cooking magazine, and started to read while waiting for his classes to start. As he was feigning indifference to the whole world, Minako entered the room, followed by Toriumi.

"Arisato-san, have you joined any clubs yet?" Toriumi asked. The girl shook her head in response. "Each student is required to be part of at least one club. Although you have entered in the middle of the school year, you are still obliged to join one. Ask around, I think there will be clubs willing to take you in."

"Alright, Sensei." Minako noticed Shinjiro staring at her. She smiled brightly at him. Secretly, his heart leapt at the sight of her. He quickly looked away, burying his face in the magazine to hide his embarrassment. Crap. Why was he acting like a lovestruck kindergartener?

"Good morning, Aragaki-san." She made her way to his seat. "I'm really, really sorry about yesterday. That was very disrespectful of me." She bowed at him in apology.

"Like I said, forget about it," he replied, not looking up from his September issue of _Family Cooking_.

"If you say so…" She scrutinized his magazine curiously. "Is that… a cooking magazine?"

"…Yeah."

"Cool." She took a seat on an adjacent chair. "That's nice… Honestly, I'm kinda jealous that you can put your heart into something like that." Noticing the strange look he was giving her, she quickly added, "I mean, I wish I had something I was passionate about… I totally have no idea what club I should join…" She sighed in frustration. "Wait… you're part of the Cooking Club, right? Are there any vacancies?" she asked in desperation. "I've done some cooking before, although I'm no expert at it, but I'm a fast learner!"

He sighed. Still gazing intently at his magazine, he replied, "You'd have to ask Yamagishi-san about that. In my opinion, though, you shouldn't force yourself into something just because you have to. Do something you are passionate about, so that when shit happens, you'll be able to weather it." He paused to steal a look at the girl. Seeing that she was deep in thought, he continued, "It's not like I don't want you to join, but it doesn't seem fair to you, or to us if you were going to apply just because you're being pressured by Toriumi."

She pondered on his advice for a bit. "You have a point… I suppose I'll give my club more thought." She smiled at him. "Thank you, Aragaki-san. You're a really nice person, you know?"

"…W-Whatever." He looked pointedly away from her, watching his classmates that were starting to trickle in the classroom, among them a few familiar faces.

"Yo, Senpai!" Iori entered through the back door, greeting Shinjiro before proceeding to his seat in the second row.

"Good morning, Shinjiro-senpai!" Takeba entered the room, followed by Aigis.

"Good morning, Aragaki-san." Aigis greeted him.

"G-good morning, Aragaki-senpai..." Yamagishi said timidly.

"Ne, Aragaki-san, why does everyone call you 'Senpai'?" Minako asked, a little confused. "We're all in the same level, aren't we?"

He was saved from further conversation when the owner of the seat next to him, the guy with the taper cut.

"A-Arisato-san… If you don't mind…" Taper Cut looked at her uncomfortably. As an afterthought, he added, "Hey, Aragaki-senpai."

"Ah! Sorry, Morimoto-san…" She stood up, grabbed her backpack and moved to make way for the owner of the seat. Before hurrying back to her seat, she smirked at Shinjiro, as if to say, 'You owe me an answer!'.

"…And the seat stealer strikes again." He muttered to himself, letting out a small amused smile as the bell rang.

~o~

"Go on ahead with lunch, I need to discuss something with Shinjiro-senpai." Takeba signaled to Yamagishi and Aigis, who waved back and left the classroom together.

"Senpai!" Takeba approached Shinjiro. Lowering her voice, she whispered, "Fuuka and I are planning a surprise party for Aigis. Her birthday is on the 10th. Well technically it's not her birthday, it's her manufacture date, but you get my point, right?"

"So, what does this have to do with me?" He felt that he knew what she was going to ask, but he decided to raise the question anyway.

"We were wondering if you could cook some pasta for the occasion."

He groaned. "Can't Yamagishi-san do it?"

"She says you're better at it."

"…Where's the party going to be held?"

"In our dorm." Seeing the alarmed look on Shinjiro's face, she quickly added, "I already asked the matron for permission, she'll let you in. In fact, you could even use the kitchen." She smiled triumphantly; knowing that it was a matter of seconds before her senior finally relented.

"…Whatever, Takeba." He rolled his eyes.

She took that to mean as a yes. "Thanks, Senpai! See you on Friday! And, keep the receipts, so I can reimburse you for the ingredients."

"No need, it's a special occasion, after all."

"Okay then. I gotta go, can't keep Aigis and Fuuka waiting."

Takeba was about to leave when he suddenly said, "Wait. Is…" he swallowed, then continued, "Arisato coming to the celebration?"

"Actually, I haven't asked her. To be honest, I'm still waiting for the right time to approach her, and possibly rekindle our friendship. It would seem awkward if I threw an invite at her out of the blue." Yukari laughed apprehensively. "Anyway, thanks, Senpai!" She waved goodbye to him, and exited the classroom.

He didn't know whether to be disappointed or relieved that she wasn't coming. Part of him wished that she would be there, enjoying the feast and laughing with them as Aigis went through her first "birthday" celebration. The other half told him that this was for the best, as he'd be able to take a break from seeing her. Shaking those thoughts off his mind, Shinjiro took out his bento box and left the classroom, heading out for lunch.

~o~

"Good news, everyone! Remember our cultural festival proposal, the butler café? The school approved it." Yamagishi announced to her club mates gathered inside the Home Economics Room. She had a contented look on her face as she spoke those words. However, her giddiness quickly faded when she saw Shinjiro's extremely displeased expression.

"Yamagishi-san, do you have any idea how stupid that idea is? As you can see, there's only one guy in this club." Shinjiro pointed out.

"Well, that's the idea that won. We were choosing between a maid cafe and a butler cafe. It was a unanimous decision. Anyway, we'll work in cooperation with another club, since we lack manpower." she replied defensively. "Besides, we'll be able to maximize our profit margin by appealing to the female population, which comprises majority of the school."

He rolled his eyes. That's what she claimed, but it's pretty clear that none of the girls in the club were eager to dress up in maid costumes. "So, what happens if you can't find another club to help you out? Am I going to parade around in some penguin suit trying to impress the ladies?" he asked sarcastically.

"Well, Aragaki-san, if you came to the meeting last Saturday, you could've raised these matters then," she shot back, her tone unusually cold. "I'll definitely find a club that will be willing to work with us. Besides, since you're part of the Cooking Club, you will be busy making food in the kitchen."

Shinjiro and Yamagishi were staring each other down, making the tension in the air overbearing. Realizing the pointlessness of the staring match, Yamagishi tore her eyes off him. Flustered, she continued, speaking to the club, "Okay everyone, first order of business, we have to decide on the menu, and then build our decorations around that. That way, we know what goes on the list of things we have to buy for the festival."

The whole meeting continued in that vein, with different members calling out their suggestions. For the rest of the period, Yamagishi ignored him. During the times their eyes accidentally met, her lips pursed, as if trying to hold back from saying something.

~o~

September 7, 2010

Shinjiro was relaxing at the living room of the Kitamura Residence, after another boring day at school. He was watching the latest episode of _Family Cooking _when he heard the front door slam.

"Of all the -" This was one of the rare times he heard the normally calm and collected Aki swear even more colorfully than him. He looked totally pissed off, almost as angry as the time he discovered that Shinjiro has been spiking his protein supplements with powdered vegetable fiber supplement pills. No wonder Aki had to keep on visiting the bathroom that week.

He can't help but let out an amused smile at his friend's direction. "Aki, spit out whatever's bugging you."

The two friends stared at each other for a long time, in silence. Finally, Aki spoke. "Do you know anything about this?" Still glaring at his friend, he pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and shoved it towards Shinjiro.

He took the white sheet from him and proceeded to straighten it out. He quickly scanned the contents of the paper. The keywords were _Cooking Club_, _Culture Festival_, and _Butler Cafe_.

Looking up from the paper, he said, "Go ask Yamagishi-san."

"They want me to be the freaking poster boy of the café!"

"You didn't seem to mind when Arisato used to make us parade in those outfits back in Tartarus."

"It was just us and the shadows!"

"Then imagine that the students are just shadows. Better-looking shadows."

"The shadows didn't give a damn what I was wearing!"

"Most of the female students don't, either. I think they'd prefer if you didn't-"

"Don't finish that thought, Shinji!" Aki slammed his fist on the wall, startling Shinjiro. "And besides, I was totally worried about the seams ripping apart in the middle of battle!"

"They'd love that," he replied flatly.

Akihiko eyed him suspiciously. "You seem to be awfully calm about this, Aragaki Shinjiro. Is there something you're not telling me?"

"…"

"You're exempted from this, aren't you?"

"…Cooking Club privileges."

"Damn it! I'm supposed to have graduated from these silly Culture Festival stuff already!" He punched the wall in frustration once more.

"Aki, quit taking it out on the wall, Mitsuko's going to have a heart attack if she sees what you've been doing to her precious wallpaper," drawled Shinjiro. "Anyway, why don't you point that out to them, if you're so worked up over it? It's not like they can hold that over your head, considering that you're a coach now, instead of a player."

The silver haired man placed a hand over his chin in contemplation. "Hmm. That's a good idea, Shinji. I'll give that a try."

"I hear one of your fan girls crying in the distance."

Aki plopped on the sofa next to Shinjiro. "Honestly, I don't really care about what they think."

"Why don't you humor them for a bit? It's for the good of your club too, is it not?"

"Eh, Shinji!" his friend protested.

"Mull on it, Aki. Think of it as a training ground. It's a great opportunity to practice your pickup lines."

"Huh?" Aki gave his friend a confused look.

"It's all in the past, but I heard all about Yakushima from Iori." Shinjiro looked at his friend sternly. "That kid really needs to learn how to shut up. Tch, Operation Babe Hunt?"

The last three words rendered Aki speechless, leaving the two of them to listen to the cooking show host's closing remarks. As the credits rolled, Shinjiro reached for the remote control and shut off the TV. He stood up, tossed the remote on the sofa, and headed for the stairs, leaving Aki to his thoughts.

~o~

September 10, 2010

"Welcome back, Yukari-chan!" An elderly woman wearing a simple blue kimono welcomed Shinjiro and Takeba into the latter's dormitory. "And this must be… Shinji-chan?" She looked inquiringly at Shinjiro, who was carrying two plastic bags. "You're the friend that was going to cook for Aigis-chan's birthday?"

And he thought it was bad enough when Mitsuko used to call him Shinji-chan. What's up with old ladies and their obsession with that goddamned nickname?

Remembering what Takeba drilled into him the other day, he forced himself to say, "Yes, Ma'am. Pleased to meet you, Miyano-san." He bowed deeply, amidst Takeba's stifled giggles.

Apparently, this was the right thing to do. The matron's smile reached up to her ears, delighted that he knew her name. "Shinji-chan, you're so polite! It's so rare to find well-mannered lads nowadays."

If only she knew how he dissed his teachers on a daily basis.

Takeba, at this point, had to excuse herself. "Excuse me, Miyano-san, I have to go fetch the drinks, and make sure that Aigis is still occupied with the video game Junpei showed her." She quickly left the pair and Shinjiro could've sworn he heard her howling outside. Miyano-san must be hard of hearing, because she didn't flinch at the laughter.

The elderly woman led him to the kitchen. The kitchen, by his standards, was modest. Too modest, actually. The refrigerator, the sink, and the stove were laid out neatly in a row, with a little space in between the sink and stove for food preparation. Upon inspection of the cabinets, the bare essentials were there: various knives, some spatulas, measuring cups and spoons, pots and pans.

"I'll leave you in charge of the kitchen, then. If you run into any problems, feel free to call me, I'll be at my room in the second floor." She bowed lightly at him, and left.

Upon the exit of the matron, he placed the two plastic bags on the wooden table at the center of the room. He took out his white apron from one of the plastic bags. After wearing it over his black turtleneck and black pants, he fished around for his bandanna and tied it around his head. It was fortunate that he had ample time to run back to their dormitory and change out of his stuffy school uniform.

He was ready to proceed with the fettuccine alfredo he planned for the occasion. Flour, check. Eggs, check. Salt, check. Bringing out the said ingredients from the other bag, he started with making the pasta dough.

~o~

He was sitting on one of the stools, an elbow on the table, waiting for the gluten to relax when Yamagishi entered the kitchen, carrying a box of cake. Their eyes met briefly, with Yamagishi looking away almost immediately. Looking away from him, she placed the box on the wooden table, unaware that Shinjiro was watching her from the corner of his eye.

Determined not to meet his eyes, the girl edged away from the room. In the process, the hem of her jade sundress snagged on the edge of the table. She lost her balance, and had to grab on the wooden table for support. This almost caused the dough, which was resting on the table, to fall. Fortunately, Shinjiro was able to steady the table before anything else could happen. Looking at her straight in the eyes, he said, "Idiot. Be careful. Slipping like that in a kitchen is very dangerous. Good thing there were no knives around…"

"…" Yamagishi continued staring at him, biting her lip apprehensively, making no other movement. She still clung unto the table as if her life depended on it, stuck in an awkward half-standing, half-kneeling position.

Noticing this, he groaned. "You hurt yourself, didn't you?" He stood up and approached the girl, who was whimpering a little, trying to hide her pain. He bent down and proceeded to inspect her left leg, ignoring the reddening cheeks of the girl in front of him. "Damn, you sprained your ankle," he muttered. Sighing, he got up, pulled out a nearby stool, and let out an arm towards the girl.

She accepted his arm reluctantly, moaning as she let go of the table and stepped towards the chair. Tightening her grip on his arm, she managed to make her way to the stool and sit on it, an arm on the table for support.

Once the girl was properly settled, he pulled out another chair, for elevating the sprained part. Then, he opened the refrigerator, taking an ice cube tray and a pitcher of water. Fishing a face towel out of his plastic bags, he proceeded with creating the makeshift cold compress. He crouched once more and was about to apply the compress to her ankle when Yamagishi said quietly, "I can manage. Thanks." She took the towel from him and held it next to her left ankle, wincing a bit at the cold. Nonetheless, she exhaled in relief.

It was about time the dough was ready for processing. He stared at the wrapped dough, suddenly realizing that the dorm's kitchen did not have a pasta dough machine. Oh, crap. He ran his hands through his shaggy hair, wondering how he'll be able to cut and cook the dough on time.

"Um… If you need help with cutting-" Yamagishi offered, sensing his concern.

"No." Shinjiro interrupted her. "Tend to your ankle first." Sighing, he began to unwrap the dough on the prep table and started to flatten it into a shape fit for slicing.

An awkward silence fell over the kitchen, accented occasionally by the sound of the knife hitting the table. "Aragaki-senpai…" Yamagishi broke the silence, still studying her foot. "Sorry about what happened last Monday…" She added meekly.

"…Forget about it." He replied, not looking up from his work.

"I was a bi-, I mean, I was rude that day," she corrected herself midsentence. "It would be improper for me not to apologize for that." This time, she looked up from her ankle, setting aside the compress and stared at her senpai's back. "I must've been the reason why you skipped the meeting yesterday."

Which was true, but he wasn't about to say that out loud. He wanted to give her some space, after all.

"Whew! That felt good, letting it out!" She stretched out her arms, wincing a bit at her sprained ankle. "Whoa."

"Careful, Tiger, you don't want to fall off that chair." He stopped cutting the dough and started opening the ceiling cabinets, hoping he'd come across a first aid kit. Luckily, there was one in the third cabinet he opened. Placing the kit on the table, he took out some bandages.

"Senpai! I think I can manage…" she protested.

"It's better if someone else applies it."

"Ehh…"

"Why didn't you take off your sandals?" He grumbled. Yamagishi's choice of footwear for that day was a pair of aquamarine strappy sandals, thankfully without heels. Nonetheless, it looked difficult to remove.

"Oh yeah." Blushing, she fiddled with the straps of her left sandal and pulled it out. "Are you sure about this, Aragaki-senpai?"

He chose not to comment on that. Kneeling down, he concentrated on securing Yamagishi's ankle.

"Senpai! I heard you were-" Iori, carrying a plastic bag full of drinks, stopped dead on his tracks when he saw the pair by the table, where Shinjiro was applying some finishing touches on the bandage on Yamagishi's ankle. "Uhh… okay. I just ran into Yukari, and she told me to bring the drinks here. Yeah, sorry for interrupting." He quickly placed the bag on the table and was about to make his getaway when Shinjiro stopped him by grabbing his shoulder firmly.

"Iori, make yourself useful and carry Yamagishi to the lounge. She can't rest properly here." The boy was still frozen in place even after he let go of his shoulder. Frowning, Shinjiro's eyes narrowed at Iori. "_Now_. I still have some pasta to cook and a sauce to make, so if you don't get out of my sight now…" His voice took on a warning tone.

"R-Roger, Senpai!" He saluted at him nervously, and approached the seated girl cautiously. She eyed him anxiously as he gingerly scooped her up.

"Don't drop her." Shinjiro quipped, resuming his work on the pasta.

Unbeknownst to him, Yamagishi was smiling inwardly as Iori carried her to the lounge. For the first time in many weeks, he finally dropped the honorific when addressing her.

~o~

By some miracle of God, Shinjiro managed to finish the pasta just on time for the gathering that evening. Bringing out the freshly-cooked dish, he exited the kitchen and made his way to the lounge.

The lounge of Takeba and Aigis's dormitory was surprisingly familiar, as it resembled the lounge back in the Iwatodai Dorm, down to the circular arrangement of the sofa, television, and position of the stairs.

Iori was standing next to the TV, chatting with Amada about the newly released video game of Phoenix Ranger Featherman R. Yamagishi was reclining on the sofa, her left ankle propped up on some pillows. Koromaru was watching over the food on the table, tongue out, his tail wagging frantically. Aki was sitting on the sofa opposite Yamagishi, fiddling with his gloves in anxiety, wary of the girl on the opposite side.

The table was groaning under the weight of the food. Aside from the pasta he cooked, there were doughnuts, brought by Amada, bags of chips, bought by Iori, cheeseburger pizza, courtesy of Aki, sushi platter, delivered by one of Kirijo's lackeys, and of course, chocolate cake, baked by Yamagishi. He grimaced at the sight of all the junk food, wondering if this was a habit carried over from their days in the Minatodai Dormitory. The only healthy food in sight was the sushi, and the pasta he was holding. After making some space for the pasta, he laid it carefully on the already bursting table and sat on the individual couch near the television, folding his arms and crossing his legs. Aki managed to smile at him tersely, relieved that he wasn't alone with the juniors-so to speak-anymore.

"So, it looks like the only people missing, discounting Mitsuru-senpai, who couldn't make it because of a meeting, are Yuka-tan and the guest of honor, Ai-chan!" Iori said. Way to go, Captain Obvious. You're giving Yamagishi a run for her money as Queen of Exposition.

"Everyone, I just got a message from Yukari." Yamagishi announced in her mission control voice. "'Aigis and I will be there in three minutes.'"

"Quick, switch the lights off!" Iori said excitedly. And with that, Amada dived for the light switch near the entrance of the dorm, plunging the lounge into darkness.

~o~

"…Wow. It certainly is dark here," Iori spoke after moments of silence. "Maybe I should sit down… Creepy…"

"Oww… Junpei, that's my foot!"

"Oops, sorry Fuuka…"

"…Iori, if you don't get off my lap now, I swear I'm going to post that picture of you making out with that antennae-haired kid."

"S-sorry, Senpai... W-wait, how did you know about that? We were-" A loud crash sounded through the lounge.

"No! The food!" Amada cried out, with Koromaru whimpering in agreement.

"Will you guys shut up? At this rate they'll hear us a mile away!" At Aki's words, everyone clammed up. The only sound they can hear were the rapid pounding of their hearts, the deep breaths being taken by a certain person on the floor, and the crickets chirping outside.

"Yukari-san, are you sure that we don't have anything to worry about? I heard some voices coming from the lounge."

"It's okay, Aigis! Come on!"

"I feel uneasy."

Takeba giggled. "You worry too much." Shinjiro heard the sound of the lock being turned. Something crawled on Yamagishi's leg, causing her to let out a muffled shriek. A delicate pause followed, punctuated by someone's breathing-albeit held. If the lights were on, they would have been staring at each other in panic.

"Stay back, Yukari-san." At the unmistakable clicking sound of Aigis's finger cannons flipping open, Shinjiro gripped his armrest tightly, wondering if Miyano-san wouldn't mind him using the coat stand he sighted earlier as a possible weapon. In his defense, and the others as well, he wouldn't have things end this way. Damn it. "I sense some intruders inside."

"Wait, Aigis!"

Shinjiro got to his feet, albeit unsteadily as he slowly made his way through the dark.

"I'll take care of this, there's too many of them," Aigis said.

Nearing the coat stand, Shinjiro sighted someone shifting by the doorway. Amada. He, who was nearest to the door, switched the lights on as the door flew open, bracing himself as Aigis moved forward, guns out, blue eyes blazing with ferocity.

"Happy Birthday, Aigis!"

"Happy Bithday, Ai-chan!"

"Happy Birthday, Aigis-san."

"'Py Birthday, Aigis."

"Woof!"

Takeba sighed in relief as Aigis lowered her arms, bewildered. Taking charge after locking the door, she shouted at them. "What the heck? I told you guys, we have to do it at the same time. AGAIN!"

They chorused, "Happy Birthday, Aigis!" Koromaru even managed a bark that sounded like that.

"I am a robot, I don't have a birthday." Aigis protested in confusion, eyes darting to each one of them. "I don't understand." Frowning, she then looked down at the floor sadly.

"Nonsense!" Takeba held the girl by her hands. Raising the metallic hands to her chest, she said, "It's the day you were made, and born into this world, so that makes it your birthday!" She grinned widely at her.

"If you insist, Yukari-san." The blonde smiled back uncertainly.

Takeba pouted. "Aigis! How many times do I have to tell you, drop the honorific already!"

"Sorry, Yukari-s-," Aigis stopped herself, "Old habits are hard to break. I may need some reprogramming in order to change my mannerisms."

Takeba clapped a hand to her forehead. "Oh yeah, never mind, then. Anyway, let's all dig in!" She grabbed the stack of paper plates on one of the small desks and started handing them out.

"Too bad Mitsuru-senpai's not here, Shinjiro-senpai's pasta sures tastes awesome!" exclaimed Iori, while spooning a mouthful of pasta in his mouth. Shinjiro decided against correcting his manner of eating, and proceeded to pick on his sushi.

"My sensors confirm Junpei-san's proclamation," said Aigis.

To everyone's surprise, the doorbell rang. "Who could this be?" Takeba said, puzzled. "The rest of our dorm mates are doing Karaoke at Paulownia Mall." She approached the door cautiously and peeked through the eyehole. "Oh!" Her eyes lit up in recognition and remembrance. "I almost forgot about our other guest." She beamed and unlocked the door.

It was Theodore. "I wish you a very happy birthday, Aigis-sama." He walked up to Aigis and bowed deeply at her. "It's not much, but here's a little something for you." He presented a small package to her, which she accepted with a smile.

Shinjiro thought it was a really smart move. What in the world was Takeba thinking, asking all of them to bring food as presents to a robot's birthday party?

"Ah, and I see that we have a feast fit for the gods," Theodore said, shifting his attention to the food.

_Fit for the gods of debauchery_, Shinjiro thought, cringing at the way Iori and Amada were devouring the food, as if they haven't eaten in days.

"Hmm, I sense a dish created by Chef Aragaki," Theodore continued in a tone of undisguised incredulity. "Is this what they call divine providence?"

"No, it's called fettuccine alfredo," snapped Shinjiro in annoyance, his blood boiling. Oh, how he longed to wipe the smirk off that blond's face.

* * *

><p>Sorry if Junpei's a bit of an idiot.<p>

I also apologize for the "late" release. I had to rewrite some parts to accommodate certain feedback I have been getting. xD

Alright, the next chapter might take longer now, work is piling up. I do promise it will be worth the wait.

Thanks to **Elleon Stormwrath** for beta-reading this chapter!

**OhtaSuzuke**, thanks for the feedback. I have received similar feedback from my betas, and I'll do my best to remedy that. :3 I hope I did a better job this time around.

Random: Checking the Shinjiro recording on Youtube, I suddenly realized that it falls on my birthday. LOL. xD


	5. Deja Vu

_Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Persona 3 or any of its reincarnations. If I did, then Theo would've gotten his own social link and/or rooftop scene. All creative rights to the characters named in this story belong to Atlus and I certainly do not profit from this story._

* * *

><p><span>September 15, 2010<span>

Shinjiro took a deep breath, taking in the fresh, fairly salty air from the docks_. _He was reminded of the times when he'd cut class just to stretch out on one of the rooftop benches and sleep as the wind blew gently over him. That particular lunch time, the weather was just right. The white, cumulus clouds shielded the place from the harsh midday sun, and a light breeze circulated over the rooftop, accompanied by the glorious braying provided by the seagulls. Relaxing at the familiarity of the place, he began to walk towards the farthest seat from the rooftop entrance.

It looked like someone beat him to his usual spot. It was a familiar-looking girl with long, flowing, brown hair, which blew in the direction of the wind. He jolted in surprise when he saw that his seat was already occupied by none other than Minako, who hasn't noticed his arrival because her back was against him. _Damn, not her again_, he thought, cupping a hand to his forehead, covering his eyes. He bent his head, averting his gaze from her.

It's been a while since he was alone with her, as the latter was busy with other matters in school. He welcomed the distance, as it gave him time to think rationally, instead of alternating between being a lovestruck idiot and an irritable bastard. A lot of people seemed to gravitate to her due to her overall cheerful disposition, which was an accomplishment considering that she has only been in school for about two weeks. According to Yukari, she joined the Volleyball Club and was slowly gaining notoriety as an offense demon. Apparently, she spent a lot of time going out with the club members, including this girl named Rio. There was also one morning when some guy from 3-C named Odagiri tried to recruit Minako into the Student Council. During break time, it was also starting to become a common sight for her seat in 3-F to be surrounded by students, chatting her up. It's amazing that she hasn't lost an ounce of her magnetic personality despite the amnesia. However, it didn't stop her from being annoying as hell, in his opinion. For some reason, she took pleasure in bothering him. She got the hang of the "-senpai" crap and followed suit like most of his schoolmates. In addition, she'd often badger him about going out with her on one of the many group outings she was invited to. She probably meant well, but it still unsettled him. The more she interacted with him, the more he can't get that stupid grin of hers out of his mind.

He started to debate on whether to approach her with a wisecrack regarding seat stealers or to silently back out of the rooftop before she noticed him. In all honesty, his body was screaming at him, 'Screw everything! Scoop her in your arms in a hug before for someone else takes her away!'. However, his mind was a telling him a different story. A small voice spoke inside his head, saying, 'Whatever happened to moving on? Besides, if you did that, chances are she'll run away from you like a startled fawn.' He knew he wouldn't be able to stop once he started. In that manner, she was similar to the drugs that he used to take, and yet, at the same time she was worse than that. At least the drugs did not occupy his mind the way she did.

Mustering whatever amount of self-control he had left, he proceeded to back out of the rooftop. He was almost at the exit when he heard a loud thump. His palms ran cold with sweat as he looked back in alarm, as it could only mean one thing. Indeed, she was slumped on the ground next to the bench. There was no need to debate on his next course of action.

_March 5, 2009. When he reached the rooftop, Aigis and Minako were already there, at the far end. Upon sensing him as he drew near, coughing and gasping for air, the blonde smiled solemnly in understanding and let him take her place on the bench._

Panic building inside him, he rushed to his beloved's side. Kneeling down next to her, he carelessly discarded his bento nearby, trying to control his suddenly uneven breathing. For a split second, he hesitated in coming into contact with her, but knowing he didn't have the luxury of time, he decided to cast away his inhibitions. He closed his eyes, trying to compose himself. After deciding that he was ready, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, gingerly elevating her back. Hooking his right arm under her legs, he lifted her off the ground. She was surprisingly light. As light as a feather, in a literal sense. Carrying her, he sat on the nearby bench and rested her head on his lap, laying the rest of her on the bench.

For a while, he simply gazed at her sleeping form, the rising and the falling of her chest as she breathed in and out. Eventually, he snapped out of his reverie, remembering where he was, and what he needed to do, he took out his cellphone to call the hospital. His fingers froze on the keypad, as he suddenly realized that he didn't know the hospital's number. It's not like he kept his least favorite people on earth on speed dial. Sighing deeply, he punched in the number of the only person he could count on in this kind of situation.

"Kirijo Mitsuru speaking," the crisp voice of the closest girl friend he ever had came over the phone.

"Kirijo, I need an ambulance. Now!" he said urgently.

"Hold on a second." It sounded like Kirijo was in the middle of a meeting. He heard the distinct crackling sound of the mouthpiece being covered. However, the hand was not enough to muffle certain patches of conversation over the phone. "Sorry, I need to take this call," "Yes, it's an emergency," "No, this cannot wait until after lunch."

Her voice came over the phone. "Aragaki, if you be so kind to elaborate as to where and why I should be sending an emergency vehicle?" she asked in a strained voice. "Do not address me like that again. I'm not your secretary who's at your beck and call."

He growled at the phone. "Look, I don't have time for this! Just get one of the fucking cars to come here at Gekkoukan! Arisato…" he swallowed, a lump suddenly forming in his throat, "…collapsed."

Kirijo's gasp was audible over the phone. "…I see. Alright then. I'll be calling the hospital now." He heard the sound of another cellphone being flipped open. After a few moments of silence, her voice came over the phone again. "Where exactly in the school are you located right now?"

"Rooftop," he said tightly.

"Roger. Expect them to arrive in around five minutes."

He nodded, even if she can't see him. "Okay, Kirijo..."

"Is that all, Aragaki?"

"…Thanks," he said in a voice uncharacteristic of him.

"...Did you just thank me?" she replied in disbelief. Oh God, what did he just say? Cursing in his mind, he wanted to take back those words all of a sudden. She must be wearing an amused smile right now. "As much as I would like to dwell on that, I am in the middle of a very important meeting, so I must go."

"…Right," was all he could say as Kirijo ended the call. Snapping his phone shut, he stashed his phone back in his pocket and observed the unconscious girl on his lap. The only sign she was alive was her heavy, ragged breathing. A strange sense of déjà vu came over him as she stirred.

_She lay on his lap, eyes half-focused on him, yet smiling widely as she listened to him blather on about his feelings._

"Ara…gaki…san?" she murmured, half-opening her eyes.

"Take it easy. You're going to be okay…" His voice felt hoarse for some reason. He tried to believe the words as he said them, but what was this sinking feeling in his stomach? Coupled with the déjà vu, he felt like throwing up, despite not having eaten his lunch.

"…Hmm? Of… course, I am." her pale face suddenly tinged crimson as she let out a weak chuckle. "I just… feel… tired…" She placed a hand on his wrist reassuringly, as color was starting to drain from her face. _You liar_, he wanted to say out loud, _you said the same thing the last time, yet your eyes never saw the light of the day again._

He flinched at her touch. It wasn't only the sensation of feeling her hand on his once more. Her hand was literally as cold as ice. Pale as snow, almost lifeless. Like death.

_She closed her eyes as the rest of her friends burst through the rooftop entrance._

"I think I'll just close my eyes for a bit…" she muttered sleepily. _Don't_, he almost whispered to her, _the last time you did that, you never opened them again._

True to her words, she shut her eyes, hand still on his wrist. He tensed, his hands shaking uncontrollably as he cupped her hand in his. Clutching her hand tightly, he brought it to his lips and blew gently, desperately trying to warm it, trying to breathe some life into those hands which used to caress his face.

"Hey, Arisato, snap out of it," he whispered, kissing her bitterly cool hand gently. His lips felt numb after brushing them against her soft skin, after so long. Numb, because it was cold, and numb, because he wasn't so sure if he wanted to remember how it was to feel any emotion at all.

_He embraced her tightly once more, taking in her scent, which was a mix of the sweet smelling strawberry-scented shampoo she used and the homely smell of the melon bread she loved to eat. The headphones hanging from her neck chaffed uncomfortably against his chest, whilst his recovering body protested again his sudden physical exertion, but he didn't care._

Did he just imagine it, or did he just see his hands through her arm? Withdrawing, he blinked several times. Good, she was still there. However, a wave of terror washed over him as he saw her phase in and out of translucency. He did the only thing he could think of at that point. He hugged her tightly, bringing her close to his chest, hoping that would keep her from disappearing. He felt her heart beat against his, feeble as it was. The coolness of her skin contrasted with his warmth, making chills run down his spine. The last time he was this close to her felt so long ago. It pained him to know that he had to hold her under these circumstances.

Brushing some stray chestnut hair strands from her face, he smiled ruefully at the peaceful expression on the face of the girl he once loved. Or was it _still _loved?

Still cradling her in his arms, he gazed heavenward as people barged in through the rooftop entrance. "Minako… Don't leave me again."

~o~

Shinjiro rubbed his eyes open as the bell rang to signal the end of the school day. His back ached for some reason. He must've fallen asleep on the rooftop bench after the lunch break incident. Pulling himself to a sitting position, he cringed as the joints on his back and shoulders cracked from being stuck in a stiff pose. For some reason, his face felt ridiculously warm. When he brought a hand to his cheek, he winced at the pain the contact caused. The clouds must've parted some time in the middle of the afternoon, because the sun was blazing brightly overhead.

To put it plainly, he felt like crap. As if to mock the turmoil building inside him, the wind still blew gently over the rooftop, stinging his sunburned skin. What perfect timing for the sun to come out, on a day he forgot to wear sunscreen.

He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, trying to recall what happened for the past few hours. So, Minako collapsed this afternoon. Fortunately, he was there to call the necessary authorities. When the medics arrived to take her away, he insisted on coming along, but to no avail. They did assure him that this matter will be treated with utmost confidentiality. As if that was his real concern. He wanted to be by her side, to feel the touch of her hand, and most of all, to make sure her existence was not compromised.

Instead, he lay on the bench for God knows how long, letting his guilt eat away at him. He buried his face in his hands, ignoring the pain the action caused him. He sighed, feeling helpless. Was there nothing he could do for her? Must he always be the one on the sidelines, watching as she took on demons they never ever dreamed of?

His stomach growled. A quick glance toward the foot of the bench he was sitting on revealed that some seagulls were busy feasting on the onigiri that was supposed to be his lunch.

Before he can dwell on that particular incident, his phone rang. Fishing it from his pocket and seeing the name on the caller ID, he immediately pressed the green call button and put the phone to his ear.

It was Kirijo. "Aragaki. There will be a meeting at my house around seven in the evening." House? She must've meant that palace she lived in. "Theodore will be giving a report on his activities and we will be discussing what happened this afternoon, among other matters."

He groaned inwardly. _Him _again? "Noted, Kirijo." He was about to close his phone when Kirijo's voice came over the phone once more. Not catching what she was saying, he placed the phone to his ear again and asked her to repeat herself.

"I said, 'Bring your Evoker just in case,'" she repeated, sounding annoyed at having to reiterate.

"'Kay."

Kirijo's tone softened. "I apologize for snapping at you. I know you have gone through a lot these past few days, Aragaki. Actually, I have so much on my plate right now, what with everything going on with the Group, and now… this." He heard her sigh over the phone. "I do hope nothing extraordinary happens, but to be honest, I have a bad feeling about this."

"Tch, don't worry about me, Kirijo, you have enough crap to deal with already." He debated on whether he should continue or not, but thinking that Kirijo needed some cheering up, he added, "Just do your best with your company shit. It's not like you to worry about things; you simply get the job done then and there."

"You know, if you plan on complimenting someone, you should at least keep your profanity to a minimum." Kirijo chuckled. "Thank you, Aragaki. So I'll see you later then?"

"…Yeah."

"I'm glad to hear that," she said as the call ended.

He sighed as he closed his phone. Standing unsteadily on his shaking legs, he cleaned up the mess that was supposed to be his lunch and ambled towards the rooftop exit.

~o~

Shinjiro was running late. According to his pocket watch, it was already eight in the evening. Taking off his cap to wipe off the sweat from his forehead, he cursed the heavens as he jogged along the pavement leading to Mitsuru's place.

After changing his clothes back in his dormitory, the TV in the lounge blared news about the monorail breaking down. With the trains out of commission, that only meant that his alternative means of transport to the meeting place was a taxi, since no buses went in the direction of his friend's mansion. All was well, until the taxi broke down in the middle of his destination. Unfortunately, it died in the middle of a road that not much cars passed through. So he got off the taxi, paid part of his fare, and thought about his options. He was debating between hitchhiking and walking the rest of the way. In the end, he decided to walk to her house. The GPS in his cellphone claimed that it was only two kilometers away from his current location. People wouldn't take kindly to a traveler who looked like him, after all.

However, two kilometers was longer than he originally thought. In addition, his stomach was protesting in hunger, bothering him every now and then. The melon bread and instant ramen he wolfed down before leaving the Kitamura residence felt like a distant dream. He secretly longed for the banquet that Mitsuru was sure to have prepared in her residence. However, it looked like he needed to go through hell first before getting a slice of that heaven.

He was flagged down by one of the guards when he arrived at the elaborately ironworked gates of the Kirijo mansion. He was still feeling horrid after the incident in the afternoon. Coupled with the delay caused by the train failure, the pending confrontation only served to fuel his foul mood.

"Hey you." The man in uniform eyed him suspiciously. "What's your business here?"

Oh, not this again. Now he remembered why he hated going to Kirijo's place. The guards, after giving him the once-over, always gave him a hard time. It would've been fine if this didn't happen every time during his already rare visits. However, since the guards cycled often, he often had to endure a really bad case of déjà vu every time he was summoned to the Kirijo mansion.

"I came to visit Kirijo," he replied tartly, not bothering to hide the sour expression on his face. It must have been the longcoat, coupled with the skull cap, that made him look suspicious. Well, too bad for them, he missed wearing those articles of clothing.

The new guy, who was sporting a buzz cut together with his sentry uniform, looked affronted. "Kirijo-sama is currently in a very important meeting, and she has specifically told us that she is not to be disturbed. Come back tomorrow."

Shinjiro sighed in exasperation. "Fuck off, then. I came here to attend that meeting, dumbass." He was greatly tempted to bring out his Evoker and point it at the guard, pretending it was a real gun. However, he settled for balling his fist, shoulders tensed, preparing to knock some sense into the guard.

An unpleasant brawl would've broken out if Shinjiro's phone didn't ring at that particular moment. Unclenching his fist, he threw one dirty look at Buzz Cut, before answering his phone.

"Yes?" He eyed the guard warily, who was beginning to call for backup, judging by the way he was barking at his walkie-talkie.

"Aragaki Shinjiro, where in heaven's name are you now?" Kirijo's exasperated voice came over the phone. "Everyone has eaten dinner already, and we're about to start the meeting in a while!"

He groaned. No more food, eh? Goodbye, my piece of heaven. Write back soon. "I'm at the gates of your freakishly large _house_." He stared at the Victorian mansion that loomed past the gates, emphasizing the last word as if it were a joke. Visibly peeved, he tore his eyes off the _house _and continued, scowling at Buzz Cut. "Your fucking guards wouldn't let me in."

Kirijo fell silent, mollified by his explanation. "I'll handle this." The phone went dead in his hands.

Another phone rang. This time, it was the sentry's cellphone. After glancing at the caller id, he quickly answered the call. "Kirijo-sama? Yes… there's an intruder here…" he frowned at Shinjiro, "You want… uh-huh… WHAT?" he gave a startled look at the brunet who was boiling in front of him, "Oh, pardon… yes, yes… okay, Ma'am, my most heartfelt apologies…" The call ended.

"My apologies, Sir..." he blanched at the word, "Aragaki. Our master awaits." He managed a stiff bow at the punk, and returned to his post. He pushed a button that made the gates slide open.

Giving one last death glare at the unfortunate guard, Shinjiro passed through the now open gate and followed the winding, tree-lined driveway to the house proper, ignoring the growls of his stomach.

~o~

As Shinjiro entered Kirijo's study, a blast of cold air stung his already tender face. The airconditioning was turned up to the max level, possibly to cool him down, after his long walk. The walls of the room were lined by bookshelves, filled with books about topics that made Shinjiro's head spin. At the end of the room was a medium-sized, polished oak table, together with a revolving office chair. The surface was covered by a desk lamp, some books, and important-looking papers topped by a miniature globe paperweight. There was a long, maple table at the center of the room. Lining the table were two brown leather three-seater sofas and two small wooden desks stationed across each other.

It looked like the whole ensemble has gathered. Takeba, Iori, and Iori shared one of the larger couches, while Aigis stood next to Takeba. Aki sat on the center of the opposite couch, elbows on his lap, hands folded in contemplation. Amada was idling by the edge of the sofa Aki was occupying, watching Koromaru as he relaxed on the carpet. Kirijo and Theodore were conversing by the oak table at the end of the room.

Kirijo, noticing his arrival, strode across the carpeted floor to greet him. "My apologies for my sentry's boorish behavior." She inhaled sharply upon seeing his face. "Aragaki, what happened to you?"

His face must have been redder than he originally thought. "Who cares, I know I look like crap." He shrugged, rolling his eyes as he did. "More importantly, how's Arisato?"

"We will be discussing that shortly. First, your face." Grimacing, she craned her neck, looking around for something. Spotting a small, round, silver-framed mirror on one of the shelves, she made her way to the bookshelf holding it. Picking it up, she went back to Shinjiro and handed him the mirror. "Would you want some aloe vera with that?"

Accepting the item, he inspected his face in the mirror. It wasn't as bad as Kirijo seemed to think it was. Sure, his face was a shade darker than usual, and there was an unflattering red blotch forming on his left cheek, but otherwise, a few days away from the sun would heal the burn. He returned the mirror to the redhead. "No need, Kirijo. I heal pretty fast."

The rest of the people in the room managed a smile at Shinjiro as he slouched towards the free space next to Aki. As he took his seat, everyone else gazed expectantly at Kirijo, who returned to her place at the end of the study.

"Since we are all assembled now, I suppose we can start the meeting," she announced. "Our first order of business," she hesitated, but upon sensing Shinjiro's anxiety, she continued. "Arisato. You all know that she was admitted to the hospital this morning." She took a deep breath. "She's alive, to say the least." Everyone, except Shinjiro, who was busy hiding his agonized expression, and Theodore, who probably knew of the events that transpired, breathed a sigh of relief at those words. Noticing the strained look on the brunet's face, she continued cheerlessly, "However, the doctors cannot find anything wrong with her. According to them, she was just fatigued."

There was no mention of the translucency issue. Did it mean that he imagined it all? Or was she better now? Regardless of the reason, he did not feel like bringing it up.

"So it's March 5 all over again," Amada murmured dejectedly, his eyes downcast.

"Currently, we have her hooked up to life support, since she hasn't regained consciousness yet. Since there's nothing else we can do for her as of now," she turned to the pale blond next to her. "Let's talk about what Theodore has found out."

Theodore straightened up, and spoke in his usual patronizing tone. "As you know, I've been monitoring the Seal. Strangely enough, aside from the disturbance last September 2, there is nothing else of note to report. Until this afternoon, that is."

"May I ask a question, Theo-san?" said Takeba, an interruption Shinjiro welcomed, for he was getting sick of the blond's voice. Did he really speak that way, or was he that condescending of them because they were mere mortals who couldn't comprehend the complex inner workings of the universe?

"Based on our last meeting, you implied that the Seal was intact, right?" Theodore nodded in agreement. "However, the fact is, Minako and the Seal are one and the same." A look of uncertainty flashed on Theodore's face, but it quickly came to pass. Anyhow, he nodded, an amused smile forming on his lips, seeing where this conversation was going. "So, how can the Minako at the hospital right now," Shinjiro cringed at the words, but no one seemed to notice his reaction. "…exist? Aren't the consequences dire if she leaves the Seal?"

"Very good question, Miss Yukari. Indeed, those thoughts have crossed my mind. However, I could not find a satisfactory answer to that question." He sighed in frustration. "As of the moment, I have to reluctantly accept the fact that she is both the Seal and the Minako roaming around the world these past few days."

Silence fell over the group as they pondered over his words. Suddenly, Yamagishi fell to her knees, clutching her head. "No… no way!"

Alarmed, Iori scrambled from his seat, kneeling next to the girl. He brought an arm around the girl's shoulders. "Hey, Fuuka-tan… I know it's all hard to take in, but, dude, get a hold of yourself!"

She smiled reassuringly at him, although her arms were still shaking uncontrollably. "I'm okay, Junpei… It's just that…" She took a deep breath to compose herself. "I sensed a shadow-"

"WHAT?" The occupants of the room were in various states of shock. Iori let go of her, dumbstruck, while Takeba rose from her seat, staring at Yamagishi in astonishment. Koromaru whimpered at the idea, as Amada busied himself by comforting him. He hugged the dog and whispered consoling words to the gray shiba inu, however, it failed to mask the disbelief on his face. On the other hand, Kirijo looked affronted by the statement. Shinjiro stared straight ahead, frowning at the bookshelf, trying to hide his consternation. At the same time, Aki had a grim look on his face, his mouth a thin line at the revelation. Aghast, Aigis simply stood, rooted to the same spot she has been standing on for hours.

Theodore's eyes suddenly widened in surprise. "Affirmative. I sense a shadow lurking around Iwatodai."

"But I thought Tartarus… The Dark Hour… Shadows… Didn't we just rid the world of them a few months ago?" Yamagishi exclaimed in dismay, distressed that her discovery was confirmed. "I was hoping that I was imagining things…"

"Then we have no choice." Kirijo stood up from her chair. "As the head of the Kirijo group and former class president of Gekkoukan High School, I officially declare the reformation of the SEES." Everyone froze at her pronouncement.

Businesslike, she continued, "Yamagishi, can you still summon Juno?"

"I haven't done it in months, but I will try." Yamagishi took her evoker, pressed it against her temple, hesitating for a moment. Taking a deep breath, she fired it, a blue fog emanating from her feet. Immediately, she was surrounded by the familiar globular casing provided by her Persona. Closing her eyes in concentration, she proceeded to search the area.

"Now, while Yamagishi's searching, the others need to arm ourselves for battle," declared Kirijo. "I have prepared some weapons for everyone, in case a situation like this happened." Bending under her desk, she dragged a large sack of items out of its hiding place. Gesturing for Aki to come over, she fished out what looked like Jack Frost and Pyro Jack puppets, and shoved it towards his direction.

He eyed the items dubiously. "Mitsuru, are you serious about this?" Kirijo then gave him a look that could freeze hell. Taken aback, he raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, I come in peace, Mitsuru…" He took the "weapon" from her and gaped at it. "It's just that-"

She interrupted him, "These weapons I have here are products of the Kirijo Ergonomics Division. They're specifically geared towards fighting Shadows. With the help of Theodore here, we were able to enhance these objects into Shadow-killing machines. Theoretically speaking, that is, since they haven't been tested yet."

Aki shrugged noncommittally and returned to his seat, staring at the gloves blankly. Everyone else took their cue from Aki. Amada accepted a scrub brush that looked like it hasn't seen soap in ages. Takeba wordlessly took the shiny, plastic green bow and suction cup-tipped arrows from her. Aigis looked at her right arm curiously as Kirijo began fitting her with a large, retractable, blue fist. Koromaru whimpered when he realized that the bone he was given was not meant to be something he can chew on.

"Can't we just visit Officer Kurosawa for our weapons?" said Iori as he received what looked like a bat with nails driven into it. If the look Mitsuru threw Junpei could kill, he would've been roadkill by now.

"Iori, you know perfectly the reason why we cannot rely on him. He has forgotten all about the Dark Hour like most people."

"Good point," he nodded, eyeing his bat solemnly. "How about you, Senpai? Aren't you going to fight?"

"No. In addition to holding the fort over here, I will be serving as Yamagishi's backup," she replied. "I do not think my bodyguards and advisers would take too kindly if I went to the front lines. They can't seem to wrap around their minds that I could hold my own in battle." She sighed. "For now, I will follow their wishes." When she noticed that Shinjiro was making no move in picking up his weapon, she narrowed her eyes at him. "Aragaki, I know your mind is occupied with other things, but it wouldn't hurt you if you got up that chair and came over here to get your weapon."

He was in fact, brooding about Minako, debating on whether to visit her at the hospital the next day or not. He rolled his eyes and rose from his seat. "Whatever." Despite his words, he complied with the redhead's demands and approached her. Kirijo, with some difficulty, pulled out the last weapon remaining in the bag. It looked like a bus stop sign. Wait. It _was_ a bus stop sign.

"What's the meaning of this, Kirijo?" He gave a look of disgust at his new weapon. When Kirijo shot him another of her piercing glares, he groaned. He supposed it would be relatively painless to just go along with whatever's on her mind. Wordlessly, he picked up the heavy sign and returned to his seat, laying the blunt weapon across the table in front of him. She frowned at his actions, probably worried about the table holding that much weight.

Deciding to withhold her comments on the brunet's behavior, Kirijo clapped her hands together to catch everyone's attention. "Now that we are all equipped, it's about time we form our teams."

As she said this, Yamagishi sank to her knees as her Persona suddenly disappeared. Fortunately, Takeba was nearby, and was able to catch the girl's arm before she collapsed on the floor.

"Fuuka, don't push yourself so hard," she said soothingly, a look of concern on her face as she observed the green-haired maiden.

"S-sorry, I feel tired all of a sudden," she replied, closing her eyes for a moment. Iori assisted Takeba in laying Yamagishi on the empty sofa. Reopening her eyes, she silently thanked her peers and continued, "The shadow was flitting in and out across Iwatodai," she fixed her eyes on the ceiling as she narrated. "One moment, it was by Port Island Station, and then the next moment, it was lurking around Paulownia Mall. It kept on changing locations. And then, after a while, I lost track of the shadow." She slapped a hand to her forehead in frustration. "It's strange, it simply vanished off my radar, then I suddenly lost control of Juno and she also disappeared."

Takeba sat on the edge of the sofa where Yamagishi lay, deep in thought. "Could the reappearance of this shadow be related to what happened to Minako this afternoon?"

"Possibly. I'll have the Ergo division look into it," said Kirijo.

For a while, the people in the room simply stared at the girl lying on the couch, with Kirijo breaking the silence a few moments later. "I suppose there is nothing more that we can do right now. Then, shall we continue tomorrow evening?"

When no one objected to her statement, she said, "Alright, then it's settled. We'll meet here again, tomorrow, at the same time."

"I have work tomorrow." Shinjiro pointed out, remembering his work schedule.

Kirijo sighed. "I suppose we can delay the meeting to nine in the evening. Does anyone else have problems with the schedule?" After a few seconds of silence, she announced, "It's settled then."

Shinjiro's stomach growled at that point. Crap. His mind was off his hunger because of all the drama that happened that evening, but since things have calmed down since Yamagishi's revelation, it looked like it was time for his stomach to call his attention once more.

For a while, everyone just looked at him in surprise. He did not like it one bit. Fortunately, no one dared to snicker at the awkward situation. Not even Theodore. Once again, it was Kirijo who broke the ice. Chuckling, she said, "Aragaki, it just so happens we have some food set aside for you in the kitchen. Maybe you would like to take a bite before retiring today?" She smiled, gesturing for him to follow her out the door.

He will not admit it to anyone, but he was secretly thankful his stomach voiced out what he can't put into words.

* * *

><p>I've had this chapter planned out a month ago, unfortunately, when it came to executing this particular chapter, I was like, RAGE! Actually, this chapter was supposed to be longer, but I decided to split it into two. Imagine how long this would've been if I inserted the battle scenes here. D:<p>

The beginning of this chapter my attempt at writing drama. DRAMA, I tell you. This was the part that drove me mad, considering my typical writing style. Well considering that this fic IS Romance/Drama in terms of genre, inevitably I would've had to write drama... LOL, so why am I complaining? Argh.

As usual, thank you, **Elleon Stormwrath**, for all the advice!

Also, thank you for the reviews, everyone. To the first anon, **mimichiro**, and blahblah, thanks for the compliments. **OhtaSuzuke**, I'm glad that you were impressed by the chapter! Aquarilite, ohoho, we'll see about that. xD I'm happy that you're all enjoying the story.

I cannot promise a release date for the next chapter. No, it's not because of writer's block. It's due to all the other stuff I have to deal with in life. It's called homework, papers, and thesis. I'll probably be able to write drabbles or short stories in between, but I'm not too sure about Chapter 6. But since I'm looking forward to writing the next chapter, well, it can go either way. xD


	6. Resolution

_Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Persona 3 or any of its reincarnations. If I did, then I wouldn't have had to bother putting up this disclaimer. All creative rights to the characters named in this story belong to Atlus and I certainly do not profit from this story._

* * *

><p><span>September 16, 2010<span>

Straightening up in his seat, Akihiko propped his elbows on the metal desk in front of him. Resting his chin on his half-open, raised palm, he feigned attention as his English teacher began to wax poetic about something written by a guy named Robert Frost.

He started to tune out the voice of his professor, deciding to use that period to sort out the thoughts going through his mind.

The Shadow. Arisato Minako. To be honest, he was expecting another strange event to happen, as it was unusual enough to see that Minako was back, despite being dead for a few months already. Part of him hoped that her reappearance would be the end of it, but it looked like the SEES's break was about to end.

The idea of battle should have raised his spirits, but the thought of their fearless and adventurous (former) leader hooked up to various machines in an effort to stay alive took all the fight out of him. At first, he saw her as their leader out of necessity, because who else can summon a Persona without hesitating? Her ability to shuffle among multiple Personas also didn't hurt. In addition, he was injured, Takeba and Iori did not look fit for the job, plus after Shinji left the SEES they've been seriously hurting in the offense department.

Eventually, her fierce determination, cool logic, and gracefulness in battle earned her his respect. Back then, even though she was a girl, somehow he saw her as a fellow competitor in the race for strength. A race she wasn't even aware of. Little did she know that he sought to outdo her on the occasions she joined him in his jogging sessions. He smiled at the memory. It was a challenge in itself, as the girl was able to keep up with him, most of the time.

However, as time passed, he started feeling knots in his stomach as he saw her battle, as if it were Miki in her place. It was only later on that he came to accept her as a comrade, and most of all, a separate entity from his sister. Nonetheless, losing her last March felt like losing Miki all over again. Seeing Shinji mope around in his own quiet way didn't help things one bit. When his best friend finally accepted his invitation to room together, he thought that things were looking up, especially since he started to cook again and was starting to form complete sentences when replying to his questions. Sadly, his friend started to look depressed again sometime in the middle of the year and no amount of badgering made him spill what was bothering him. Coupled with the sudden reappearance of Minako, possibly the only girl he saw his friend fall really hard for, well, no wonder, Shinji's mind must be a total mess now. The possibility of losing her again only rubbed salt into the not yet fully healed wound.

Finally, the bell rang as he was lost in his own thoughts. Snapping out of his reverie, Akihiko scooped up his belongings and began to make his way out of the room as a spectacled man with charcoal gray hair approached him. He wore a plain blue turtleneck together with his black pants and brown loafers. Without a word, the two walked down the noisy corridor. Once they exited the building, free from the buzzing inside the halls of the brick-walled institution, Kanzato Ryou decided to break the silence that hung over them. "Sanada, is there anything wrong? You weren't paying attention to Sato-sensei's lecture today."

"Nothing important, Kanzato," Akihiko lied unconvincingly, suddenly looking very interested on the ground. Shadows were serious business, and he didn't want to drag an outsider into this potentially messy affair.

Kanzato studied the ground, his eyes downcast. "If you say so," he commented dubiously as he looked straight ahead, pushing his glasses up. The light reflecting off his square-rimmed glasses obscured his eyes, making his expression difficult to read. Akihiko was bad at hiding his feelings; one didn't have to be a rocket scientist to tell that he was keeping something from Ryou. Yet, the latter decided to respect desire for privacy, so he did not push for details. After all, everyone had a secret to keep, the dark-haired youth reasoned to himself.

As they were walking down the cobblestone path to their next class, shoes making a light tapping sound against the rocks, Kanzato quipped, "My offer still stands, Sanada. Why don't you stay with me in my house? You'll be able to save on your rent, plus your commute will be way shorter than what you have to deal with right now."

He groaned, wiping off the sweat from his forehead as the morning sun beat down on their backs. "Kanzato, are you going to bug me about this everyday? My answer is still no." He smiled ruefully at the suggestion. "It's… an interesting idea," he admitted. "However, a friend needs me right now." A friend, indeed. He was scared. If he left Shinji alone again, who knows what he might do in his absence? Until he was sure that his friend was alright, he was willing to brave the two-hour travel time to his university. "Besides, our rent's dirt cheap, and nothing beats Shinji's cooking."

Kanzato chuckled. "'Shinji' again, huh?" He met Shinjiro over the summer break, when Akihiko invited him over to stay with them at Iwatodai. He found the brunet to be a pretty decent fellow, once you get past the maroon peacoat (who wears those things in the summer anyway?) and the gloomy aura he radiated. "True, I've never looked at spicy pepper pasta the same way again ever since I tasted his dish. Is he still feeling blue about Arisato-san?"

"Yeah, and things-" Akihiko stopped midsentence. He was about to say that "things became more complicated now", but that comment would only invite more questions. Thankfully, his friend understood enough not to badger him for details, especially if he was in one of his secretive moods. Still, he didn't want to tempt him.

Kanzato, thankfully, pretended not to hear the last part. "Alright, I wish you luck on that matter. Hope he cheers up soon."

Akihiko smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Kanzato."

~o~

At lunchtime, Yukari, Junpei, Aigis, and Fuuka assembled by one of the tree-lined areas near the gym.

A light breeze blew, ruffling the maple tree branches. Aigis lifted her hands to catch some of the falling leaves. "Fall is just around the corner, huh?" she remarked absentmindedly as she examined the reddish, pointy-tipped object on her hand.

"Still a few weeks off, Ai-chan, but whatever…" Junpei shrugged noncommittally as he brought out a picnic blanket, laying out the red-checkered cloth over the grass.

"Is something the matter, Junpei?" asked Fuuka timidly, noticing Junpei's somber mood. "You seem awfully subdued today." Inwardly, she also wondered what happened to Shinjiro, as the latter was absent that day.

"I just saw Chidori on the way to school." He sighed as he knelt on the cloth, smoothening out its edges. "As usual, she doesn't remember who I am." His expression darkened. "I'm happy she's alive, but it still hurts not being able to chat with her the way we used to." Eyes downcast, he unconsciously brought a hand to his chest, right over the spot Takaya shot him.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the group as they took their seats on the blanket. Fuuka and Aigis sat on either side of Junpei, while Yukari took the spot across him. After straightening her skirt, Yukari spoke in an effort to break the silence. "I remember the persimmon tree that used to stand there before that gym extension was built." She smiled fondly at the memory. "Back then, Minako would insist on eating lunch here. I recall those petition papers she used to make us sign. 'Root for the Persimmon Tree', something like that." Chuckling, she continued, "Funnily enough, we eventually got used to having lunch here." She stared into the distance. "It was really nice of the school to move the tree over that hill." She hesitated, wondering if she should continue. "That hill… where her grave used to be…"

"Hey, why are you talking as if she were dead?" protested Junpei, giving Yukari a wide-eyed look of incredulity. In response, the girl frowned back at him. Ignoring her withering glare, he pushed on. "She's alive, isn't she? We'd better start getting used to that idea, you know."

"Well, it has been several months, Junpei…" Fuuka pointed out. "Somehow we did get used to life without her around." She tucked a stray curl behind her ear, studying Aigis, who was inattentively playing with the maple leaf. "It's really strange for her to reappear when we've moved on." Tearing her eyes away from the blonde, she met Junpei's eyes, letting out a small smile. "You have a point though… Minako would yell at us if she saw us moping around like this."

The corner of Junpei's mouth twitched upwards, encouraged by Fuuka's words. "The operation's tonight, right? Let's do our best for Mina-tan!" He pumped a fist into the air. "She's also fighting there in the hospital, now's not the time to be down!" He seemed to have forgotten about meeting Chidori, as he was back to his usual, jolly self.

Yukari cracked a smile at that. "For once, I'd have to agree with you, Junpei." She giggled. "Is it just me, or you're making an effort to be less 'Stupei' today?" she teased.

"Whoa, that's low, Yuka-tan!"

"Somewhat out of character, yes…"

Junpei groaned. "Not you too, Fuuka-chan!" He turned to Aigis. "Come on, Ai-chan, defend me!"

"Hmm?" she asked, looking up from the leaf she was examining. "I wasn't listening, sorry." She ran a finger through the veins of the leaf as she said this.

His face was now a mask of concern. "Ai-chan, what's eating you?"

"Nothing important, Junpei-san," she responded tonelessly.

"'Nothing' my ass. Out with it, Ai-chan," he insisted. "You look like… I don't know, your dog died or something." This statement earned him a death glare from Yukari. "Whaaat? Come on Yuka-tan, that was just a figure of speech!" When the brunette didn't let up her glare, he continued defensively, "I'm not trying to jinx Koromaru or anything!"

"I suppose that's a pretty accurate description of what I'm feeling right now," Aigis agreed, much to Junpei and Yukari's surprise.

Yukari rolled her eyes. "Nevermind him, Aigis, he's being 'Stupei' again," She placed a hand on the robot's arm reassuringly, ignoring Junpei's complaints. "You don't have to share what's bugging you. Just remember, we're here if you need someone to open up to."

Aigis smiled solemnly at the brunette. "Thank you, Yukari-san."

~o~

Ken swung the rope after depositing a few coins into the offertory box at Naganaki Shrine. Then, he folded his hands in prayer as he stood in front of the shrine. A few moments of silence later, he was about to walk away when Koro-chan bounded up to him, tail wagging.

"Oh, hello Koro-chan. Did you come here to pray for our mission's success?"

Koro-chan barked happily, which Ken took as a yes. He crouched, stroking the dog's head. "Good boy."

He left the dog to his own devices and strolled to the playground. Sitting on one of the benches, he took in the air ruffling the leaves of the shinboku. Legs dangling from the edge of his seat, he began swinging them to and fro as he relaxed, smiling as he remembered his resolve.

Minako-san. His idol. His first crush. Back then, a crush, small as it may be, it meant the world to him. Of course, he knew that his senpai never looked at him in that way. Forced to grow up in a span of one night, in a world where he forsook his innocence for thoughts of vengeance, a crush gave some ounce of normalcy in his otherwise twisted childhood. In all honesty though, he questioned whether it was normal to take a liking to someone who was six years older than him.

It influenced the way he acted. When he looked back to March 31st, he was ashamed of how irrational he was. He knew that his seniors admired the maturity he showed for someone his age, but after Minako died, he realized that he will never be able to escape being a kid. He acted like one after she left, a spoiled kid robbed of his favorite toy. It made him feel all the more guilty, for no one called him out on it, not even Sanada-san, his first idol. He never knew the reason why the boxer sided with him that time, when they fought over the key. Probably, to keep him in line and to prevent him from doing something even more stupid.

It dawned on him how useless he was. He spoke big words for someone of his stature. "I'll avenge you," he promised his mother. "I'll protect you," he said to Minako-san. And in a dramatic twist of fate, the former ended with him being saved by the man he meant to kill. As for the latter, those were probably the biggest, emptiest words he spoke in his life. He can't protect a single damn thing. Ever since, it was always him being protected. His mother, Aragaki-san, and even Minako-san. All of them put their lives on the line for him.

That was then. Now, he was tired of making promises. Actions spoke louder than words, after all. He needed strength, skill, and discipline, so he started to take up kendo. Still, he planned on using the spear, rather, the Scrub Brush, during their operation that evening, for he was still a long way from mastering the way of the sword. Eventually, when he's comfortable with the sword, he'll switch to that. There was no need to rush through his childhood. After all, he had a long life ahead of him: to experience the good, the bad, and the new. Plus, he didn't have to do things on his own anymore.

Koro-chan chose that moment to approach him once more, causing Ken to smile. "We'll watch each other's backs, right, Koro-chan?"

Koro-chan barked once more, wagging his tail all the while. Then, as if to reassure the boy, he nuzzled Ken's leg, resting his head contentedly by the kid's thigh.

They stayed that way for a while, until Ken perked up, remembering something he had to do. "Hmm, that reminds me, I have to practice my swings." He jumped off the bench. "'Bye, Koro-chan. See you later." After giving Koro-chan a quick pat on the head, he left the shrine.

~o~

Much to Mitsuru's frustration, she found herself reading the same sentence for about five times. She dragged her eyes across the same sentence for the fifth time before she slammed the document on the desk. Unable to concentrate at the document in front of her, she got up from her desk and looked out the window to clear her mind, massaging her temples while she was at it.

"Minako."The word felt foreign on her lips. Back then, during the times she spent with her, the girl insisted on being called by her first name, but oftentimes Mitsuru found herself falling back to her old habits, calling the brunette by her surname, which was Arisato. It was made more complicated by the fact that she has been long gone, and there was no one else to remind her that "It's 'Minako', Mitsuru-senpai!".

She sighed. On top of university work, decisions regarding the Kirijo Group, Minako's reappearance, she had to worry about Shadows. Was it the only one that appeared? Would it mean that the recurrence of the Apathy Syndrome? More headaches and worries to come?

She stopped rubbing her head. Instead, she bit her lower lip, deep in thought. It was wrong for her to blame everything on Minako. After all, the poor girl had to deal with other tough matters too. Besides, if it weren't for her, she wouldn't have had the courage to choose her own path instead of accepting whatever has been laid out in front of her.

She needed some time to think. A lot of time. Returning to her desk, she picked up her phone by the desk lamp and started typing a message.

~o~

For the first time in a long while, Aragaki Shinjiro had a valid excuse to skip school. That morning, he woke up with a splitting headache. At first he thought it was just his face, which was in the process of healing, but for reasons other than the events that happened yesterday, he felt like a truck ran over him. Fortunately, Akihiko had already left for Ayanagi, so he wasn't there to fuss over him. Unfortunately, Mitsuko was troubled by his non-appearance in the lounge, so she went up to check on him. One thermometer later, they discovered that he had a fever. Much to Shinjiro's chagrin, Mitsuko insisted on taking care of him, despite his protests to the contrary. She was responsible for the cold towel on his forehead, the basin of water by his feet, and the tray of food on the table.

Which was well, because he ached all over. Tossing around hurt. Sitting up hurt. Touching his face hurt. Fuck it, even thinking hurt.

Truth be told, he wasn't planning to go to school anyway. He was in no mood to field questions about the incident the other day, which, according to Takeba, has already spread like wildfire among the students. Of course, he could expect no less, considering that it wasn't everyday an ambulance dropped by their school. One of the stories circulating around was him arriving at the rooftop, like a knight in shining armor, swooping in to save a damsel-in-distress.

His main worry lay in the operation that evening. If any of his companions discovered that he was sick, they'll most likely ask him to sit out on this activity. That would really 'sit' well with him. _Not._

Indeed, he has been lying in bed the whole day, nothing but his thoughts to keep him company. Still, his brooding about whether to visit Minako or not was all for naught. According to Kirijo, Minako's room was currently off-limits to visitors, as the doctors weren't quite sure of what to make out of her status. Also, judging by the condition he was in, he was in no position to move around.

It was late in the afternoon when his phone pinged, signaling the arrival of a new message. He reached for it, grunting at the effort.

_We'll be moving the operation to Saturday evening. I do not want your studies to suffer because of this. Let's meet at my place around midnight, so we have more flexibility in moving around. In the meantime, I will monitor the Shadow's movements, together with Theodore. I will contact everyone if there are any strange or urgent developments._

Tch. Typical Kirijo, worried about getting good grades. Still, he can't help but feel relieved that he had a few more days to straighten his thoughts out. A few days to help himself recover wouldn't hurt, either. He didn't want to give his enemy an advantage right off the bat.

~o~

September 18, 2010

It was probably a good idea that their meeting was moved, as it gave time for everyone to wrap their heads around the events that transpired the other day. They were noticeably calmer, much sober, and hopefully wiser by the time they gathered around Kirijo's place once more.

Shinjiro tapped his foot impatiently as Yamagishi began to scan the area again. Not being able to take the tension building up inside the room, he stood up and paced the room apprehensively to let off some steam. He was, for all purposes of discussion, fully healed, and raring to kick some Shadow ass. Anything to keep his mind off a certain brunette.

While Yamagishi was searching, Kirijo's phone rang. The redhead's face noticeably darkened when she saw the name on the caller ID. There was dread in her eyes as she pressed the answer button and lifted the phone to her ear. "Yes?" she managed to rasp. "Alright… Uh huh… I see…" Her voice suddenly rose. "What did you say?"

The room jolted at her outburst. Shinjiro stopped pacing to stare at her, while Aki shot up from his seat, eyes filled with concern as she turned her back to the group, hiding her crestfallen expression. "Sorry about that… Alright… Do what you can… Thanks." She ended the call.

"Arisato disappeared-"

"Are you shitting me?" exclaimed Shinjiro, much to the surprise of everyone in the room, including himself. Embarrassed at his outburst and horrified at Kirijo's partial announcement, he turned away from them, eyes downcast. He placed his hand inside the pocket of his coat to hide his balled fist. It did not make sense. He was shaking with anger for some reason.

"Aragaki." Kirijo left her post by the desk to lay a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

He refused to meet her gaze. "I mean… why her? Why the hell does she do these things?" Damn it. Why wouldn't he stop shaking?

"It's not her fault, Aragaki."

"I know!" he slammed his fist on the bookshelf in front of him, much to Kirijo's alarm. "Damn it…" he muttered under his breath. Anger, fear, or whatever it was… It was irrational for him to feel this way, but he did have a tendency to go out of character whenever Minako's involved. It shouldn't have been a surprise to him.

"Senpai, how about today's operation?" asked Takeba.

Kirijo frowned at Shinjiro one last time, and faced Takeba. "Personally, I do not like the idea of splitting up, but that seems to be our only option for now." She turned to Aigis. "As usual, you'll be our leader. You're in charge of the group that will close in on the shadow."

"Kirijo-san, it is unfortunate, but I must report that the only Persona I can summon right now are Orpheus, Athena, and Messiah."

She smiled at her. "No matter. I believe that most of us got used to your leadership, and it's something you did quite well, back in the Abyss of Time."

"Thank you for your confidence in me, Kirijo-san." She bowed at Kirijo.

Theodore spoke, much to the surprise of everyone in the room. "If you do not mind, Kirijo-san, I would like to assist Aigis-sama. To a certain extent, I am able to summon some of Minako-sama's other Personas."

"Very well. It never hurts to have two Wild Cards in the team. I leave it up to you to select the two others who will come with you to investigate the Shadow. The rest should serve as Yamagishi's guard, and..." She took a deep breath. "...backup for Aigis's team, in case anything happens."

Unfurling his fist and drawing himself away from the bookshelf, Shinjiro preempted their choice. "Kirijo, I'd rather participate in searching for M-, Arisato, so count me out." Who cared about some freaking Shadow when Minako was missing?

"Noted, Aragaki. Alright, so our teams-"

"It's loitering outside Gekkoukan High!" exclaimed Yamagishi. She glanced at Kirijo nervously. "Kirijo-senpai, sorry for interrupting. Umm, if you don't mind… I'd like to go with them to the school." Kirijo raised an eyebrow at her, but nodded for her to continue. "I mean, I'll be able to support better if I'm closer to the source."

"Point taken." She smiled solemnly. "That was on my mind, actually. After all, I've never been able to support well the farther away I was from what I was scanning. Fortunately, I was able to convince my advisers that I can handle myself just fine for at least one night." Kirijo grinned triumphantly. "Aigis will handle the first group, while I will lead the search party for Ari-, Minako."

"Roger." Aigis nodded.

"Very well then. When you engage the Shadow, please be careful not to cause too much damage to the surrounding property." Kirijo sauntered back to her desk and took out some keys from a drawer. "Aigis's team can take my van to the school. Does anyone know how to drive?"

"I never bothered learning."

"Me too."

"Same here."

"Driving is not part of my programming."

"Don't look at me, I'm underaged."

"Never bothered, the only thing I know how to maneuver is a fucking bike. Besides, I'll be going with you, Kirijo."

The whole group turned look at a certain silver-haired man. Once he noticed that all eyes were on him, Aki snapped to attention, holding out his hands in a stopping motion. "Oh nooooo. You're not pinning me down on this."

The redhead can't help but let out an amused smile. "You're the only one with a license, Akihiko. Besides me, of course."

"But Mitsuru, I only got my license a few months ago!" He eyed the people in the room warily. "Are you willing to entrust your lives to me?" he asked in desperation. "I barely had any opportunities to practice…" he muttered under his breath.

Kirijo closed her eyes, deep in thought, when Theodore spoke. "I do know the theory behind operating a van, as you called it. If the situation calls for it, I'll be willing to give it a try." He did not mention anything about how they seem to have forgotten that he was also in the room.

A choice between an insecure driver and a total newbie. For Shinjiro, that didn't sound very promising. As Amada volunteered to go along with Kirijo and him, he gulped, praying that their operations today would not end in failure.

~o~

Aigis deftly landed on her feet and signaled for her party to follow her through one of the back gates of Gekkoukan High. She has just finished knocking out the guards stationed in various locations around the campus. Apparently, even if Mitsuru-san was a large stakeholder of the school, there was no reason for her to hold keys to the gates of the institution, so they had to still resort to old-school breaking and entering in order to get in. The situation made her feel uneasy, as it was the first time she had to attack humans, not counting the time that bastard Ikutsuki brainwashed her. As if to fuel her apprehension, the normally familiar surroundings were bathed in the faint moonlight filtering through the windows, tingeing the halls an unnatural blue. The place was silent except for the sound of their footsteps as they entered the building. Theo-san kept up with her pace, while Sanada-san and Yukari-san followed unsteadily, with Junpei-san, Koromaru-san, and Fuuka-san trailing behind.

The past year has been an eventful ride for her, as it allowed her to experience feelings she thought she'd never be able to grasp in her existence. The emotion she was sensing from most of her teammates was something she'd classify as "traumatized". According to her internal clock, their ride to the school took all of forty minutes, but she dared say that it must've felt like an eternity to the others. Sanada-san, by virtue, was the first person at the wheel. Surprisingly, there was nothing wrong with his driving skills, except for the fact that he drove exceedingly slow. Aigis could've sworn that a stray cat just outran them. Sensing the urgency of the situation, Theo-san offered to take over. However, the adage "knowing is different from doing" held true for him, as the second leg of their journey involved a lot of alternation between speeding up and braking. Once, they nearly went over a railing, almost giving Fuuka-san a heart attack. With all that's said and done, they eventually made it to the school, disoriented, but nonetheless, limbs intact.

Fuuka-san swallowed, in an effort to keep herself from throwing up. "It's… moving up." The blonde did not wait for her to finish, as their mission control was not saying anything she did not know already. She picked up the pace as she tore through the laboratory corridor, making her way to the stairs. Her sensors were tingling uncomfortably as she flew up the steps leading to the second floor. It told her that this particular one was powerful. A nagging feeling at the back of her memory bank told her that she may have encountered this one before.

"…Wait!" Fuuka-san cried out. Suddenly conscious about her volume, she lowered her voice to a whisper. "Hold on…" The others complied, stopping before the flight of stairs leading to the rooftop. She took several gulps of air before continuing, "I sense another being on the rooftop, aside from the one we are tracking. Please give me time to discern it." She closed her eyes in concentration. "The aura is familiar… I can't get a clear reading though… I think I should summon Juno."

Before she could pull out her Evoker, Aigis took her hand, clasping it in her cold, metal grasp, much to everyone's surprise. "Fuuka-san," she started to say in her most reassuring tone, "Theo-san, Sanada-san, Yukari-san, and I are going to take care of the Shadow. In case of an emergency, Junpei-san and Koromaru-san are there to back us up. Please, we must make haste to the Shadow before it disappears again."

Fuuka-san shifted uncomfortably on her feet as Aigis continued to cling to her hand. "It's strange, I do not feel any animosity from the rooftop. It simply emits a strong aura…" she trailed off, inching away from Aigis little by little.

"Nonetheless, we must eliminate it," she insisted. Sensing her friend's discomfort, she reluctantly let go of her hand. Ever since they entered the building, her inner programming has been screaming at her to rush to the shadow's location and finish it off. It took every ounce of self-control for her not to leave her friends behind and blast through the rooftop entrance, weapons drawn.

Theo-san, noticing the apprehensions of the two, advised, "If I may suggest, Aigis-sama, let's proceed to the rooftop as planned. However, we will hold our attacks until Fuuka-san makes a comprehensive analysis of the Shadow or until it displays signs of animosity. Is this amenable to all parties?"

"…Agreed, Theo-san," relented Aigis, while Fuuka-san nodded in agreement.

She furtively glanced at the Rocket Punch strapped to her waist. Despite her protests that she was better off with her ammunition, Mitsuru-san insisted that she take the weapon with her, just in case. Apparently, it may come in handy in dire situations. She hoped that she wouldn't have to use it.

True enough, she wasn't the only one hesitant about the new weapons. Sanada-san substituted the Jack Gloves with his own set of knuckles, whereas Yukari-san brought her own bow. Both of them still took the weapons Mitsuru-san gave them, to prevent the redhead from yelling at them for not taking her seriously.

With Aigis knocking down the door, they burst through the rooftop. On the far end of the rooftop were two human-like figures. One of them was a dark figure with the form of a voluptuous woman. Its head was topped by an elaborate headdress. It wore a sari around her body, with an elaborate necklace presumably made out of gold, plus some strange gold ornaments draped around her waist. It could've easily passed for a human if it weren't for its yellowish, lifeless eyes. Oh, and the fact that it was hovering a few inches off the ground. Aigis tensed upon detecting what it actually was: the Shadow that has been making her radar go haywire. On the other hand, seated on the farthest bench was a familiar-looking brunette.

Minako-san.

Aigis felt her arm move by itself, positioning to attack the Shadow. Biting her lower lip, she used her free arm to lower her other arm. Now was not the time to attack. The shadow turned its attention to them, yellow eyes boring holes into her artificial blue ones. The blonde glared defiantly at it, clutching her arm down the whole while.

Deciding that they weren't much of a threat, it floated towards Minako-san, who seemed to be unaware of her surroundings. It was about to lay a hand on her when a bullet sliced through the air, piercing its shoulder.

It shifted its attention to the one who fired the shot. Aigis had her right index finger pointed towards it, with her left hand acting as support. "You're not laying a finger on Minako-san!" she declared, resistance all forgotten.

"En garde!" Theo-san warned as the shadow swooped towards them, disrupting their formation. Fuuka-san quickly drew her Evoker and fired, proceeding to analyze the creature as Junpei-san and Koromaru-san moved in front of her protectively.

"What?" blurted Fuuka-san in surprise. "It has no weaknesses, nulls Light and Dark, and is strong against Pierce Attacks! Aigis, Yukari, copy?"

"Yeah," Yukari-san gritted her teeth as she lowered her bow. One of the suction-cup tipped arrows managed to slice through the shadow's abdomen, making a hole through its clothing, only for the wound to be quickly repaired. Yukari-san only managed a startled "Whoa" as the shadow retaliated by throwing a punch at her, which extended all the way from where it stood. She managed to avoid most of it, but the long-distance blow managed to graze her right cheek, leaving a small gash in its wake.

"Yukari!" Fuuka-san gasped.

"Never mind me, Fuuka! Is there anything else we need to know?" she said as she eyed the Shadow warily.

"The Shadow is of the Priestess Arcana. It has some regenerative capabilities, plus it also knows Garudyne, Bufudyne, Ma- versions of those spells, and Poison Mist. Please, be careful." Her voice rang out. "Name… name… There's something familiar about its aura, but I can't pinpoint what it is…"

"Damn!" exclaimed Sanada-san as he dived to the right to avoid a Garudyne fired in his direction. It blasted a hole through the railings. "It can fire two skills in a row?"

"I suppose it's my turn now." Theo-san raised his left arm, and with a flick of his hand, materialized a blue tarot card. Grasping it, he lifted the card into the air. Drawing the card to his side, the familiar sound of shattering glass greeted their ears as Uriel materialized, blasting the shadow with a well-placed Maragidyne.

"Whoa, cool moves there, Theo-san!" whistled Junpei-san.

"That's amazing, Theo-san!" said Fuuka in awe. "It took significant damage from that attack!"

In the midst of battle, Aigis took advantage of the commotion and darted to Minako-san's side. Checking for her vital signs, she was relieved to note that her pulse was steady. However, her hands were as cold as ice, and her eyes had a dull brown, almost colorless look to them. "Minako-san, it's dangerous here." She stated, even if she knew the girl probably wouldn't reply. Her number one priority was to protect her. She promised to be by her side. However, she had duties to do as the field pursed, she hooked an arm around the girl's knees, and another around her back. She carried the semi-conscious girl and swiftly made her way to Fuuka's side. After gently laying her down next to Juno, she shouted, "I will support from here. Theo-san, Sanada-san, Yukari-san, I leave the Shadow to you. Athena!" Aigis summoned the goddess of wisdom and buffed her allies with a Matarukaja spell. There, she finally found a way to compromise those two responsibilities.

"Thanks, Aigis! Alright, let's get this show started!" Sanada-san fired his Evoker and unleashed a Ziodyne courtesy of Caesar.

"Isis!" The Garudyne spell succeeded in knocking down the Shadow, bringing it to its knees.

"You're doing great!" cheered Fuuka-san.

Sanada-san charged in with his fists, preparing to land a blow on the fallen Shadow when it a gust of wind emanated from it, knocking him back. Fortunately, he was able to brace himself for the brunt of the attack, although it nearly cost him to lose his balance.

As it stood up, the wounds in its body noticeably started to close up, much to Aigis's dismay. "We should not falter. Junpei-san, Koro-chan, please join the frontlines." The two looked at her, their expressions a mixture of surprise and concern. "Please don't worry about Fuuka-san. Juno's body is impenetrable." She quickly glanced at Minako-san's prone form. "Fuuka-san, can Juno take one more person? I don't want Minako-san to get hurt."

When the girl nodded, Aigis carried the brunette and Juno absorbed her into its body.

Junpei-san sighed. "Are you really sure about this, Ai-chan?" Koromaru-san whimpered in agreement.

She nodded, a determined look on her face. "As I said earlier, I will provide support from here."

"Alright, here comes the big one!" He removed his Evoker from its holster. "Trismegistus!" His gold-winged, red-armored Persona charged at the Shadow with a Vorpal Blade attack. The Shadow let out a sharp cry as the attack slashed through its chest.

"Whoops," Junpei-san ducked as the enemy retaliated with a Garudyne. "Uh oh," he ducked once more as another Garudyne sailed over his head.

While the Shadow's attention was on Junpei-san, Sanada-san managed to sneak behind it and landed a punch on its back. He chained it with another one, followed by a left hook. He ended the combo with a charged punch, sending it flying through the air. Koromaru-san followed up with a Maragidyne, creating a mid-air explosion as the attack connected.

"I get it now!" Fuuka-san cried out. "I sense Nyx!"

"WHAT?" Except for Theo-san, the rest paused in the middle of what they were doing to throw Fuuka-san looks of surprise. The shadow, recovering from blast, took that as an opportunity to use Mabufudyne, sending large chunks of ice at everyone, causing them to dive for cover.

"Focus! Now's not the time to dwell on that!" said Theo-san as he neutralized the worst of the spell with a Maragidyne. Stray shards still managed to give them some minor cuts, which Yukari-san quickly healed with a Mediarahan.

"I don't know why either… but that was the exact vibe I've been getting from the Shadow… It may also be the reason behind its ability to unleash consecutive attacks…" Fuuka-san trailed off.

"Regardless, it seems like the only way we could take it down is through relentlessly attacking it, otherwise it will just regenerate," said Aigis. "Athena!"

"Thanks, Ai-chan!" said Junpei-san as he got up, feeling a surge of speed, thanks to the Masukukaja Aigis cast. "Hiyaaaaaaaa!" He charged towards the monster. The others took their cue from him.

"Isis!"

"Caesar!"

"Gabriel!"

"Arrooooooo!"

The shadow disappeared in what looked like a wave of green, yellow, blue, and red fireworks as Junpei-san moved in for the coup de grace. As the smoke cleared, they saw the shadow cry out as it faded away into nonexistence.

"Did we… do it?" panted Junpei-san as he rested his right arm on the handle of his Spiked Bat.

Aigis knew that she was supposed to relax after the Shadow disappeared, but for some reason, she still felt uneasy. "Fuuka-san, did you discover anything else about the Shadow while you were analyzing it?"

"It's name is… Ratri…" She paused, deep in thought. "Hmm, isn't that-" She stopped midsentence she felt a presence behind her. "The enemy… w-what?" She whirled around, and gasped as she saw Ratri, unscathed from the attacks. "This power… don't tell me?"

Before she could say anything else, white pearls rained down from the heavens and danced as they landed on the ground, enveloping the rooftop in a bright explosion.

~o~

The moon was in that asymmetrical state, wherein it was working its way to becoming full. The walnut-shaped moon was not a very pretty sight, in Shinjiro's opinion. He also wasn't all that convinced that his weapon was up for the job, due to its lack of blades. He wished that it could've been something like his old weapon. Damn, he missed his old battle axe.

Shinjiro quickened his pace as he, together with Amada and Kirijo, passed through the unlocked back door and made their way towards the interior of the school. The last time he remembered breaking into the school was three years ago, back when the SEES was only composed of Aki, Mitsuru, and him. Similarly, they were doing it in order to take down a shadow. However, back then, they had the Dark Hour as cover for their operations, whilst now, they had to pray that they wouldn't cause much of a ruckus to wake up the guards, which he presumed have been knocked out by Aigis's team.

Firstly, they visited the hospital to check on the situation there. Apparently, there were no signs of forced entry. It was worse than those locked-room mysteries on TV. The windows were shut tightly, the door was locked, there were no alternate entrances to the room, and there was no Sherlock Holmes to save the day.

On another note, Kirijo overestimated Artemisia's sensing capabilities, as she had to resort to using some of the tools designed by her research team in order to enhance her Persona's capabilities. Eventually, their search led them to the school, where the rest of the team was waiting.

A loud explosion greeted their ears as they were going up the stairs. The walls shook, causing Kirijo to grip the railings tightly in order to keep her balance.

"That came from the rooftop!" exclaimed Amada.

Please, let them be alright, Shinjiro prayed as he overtook Kirijo, lunging over the steps three at a time, gripping his weapon tightly. He went through the open space that was once the rooftop door, feeling the night air on his face once more.

"…Damn." The rooftop which used to be his hangout was unrecognizable. There was a large crater in the center, the semi-circular chairs have been reduced to useless cement rubble, and the fences were blasted apart. Shinjiro's attention, however, was riveted on his fallen comrades, sprawled across the floor.

"Urgh…" Aki moaned, struggling to get up. Nearby, Takeba, Iori, and Koromaru lay unconscious. Theodore, on the other hand, rose unsteadily on his feet.

Kirijo's eyes widened in shock upon seeing her teammates. She stood there at a loss for words until Amada cried out, "Minako-san!"

Shinjiro's blood ran cold upon hearing that. Tilting his head towards the direction the kid ran off to, his face fell as he saw Minako lying on the ground, out cold. Close to her was Yamagishi, beginning to stir. Together with Kirijo, he rushed to their side.

Kirijo helped Yamagishi into a sitting position, propping her back against the wall. "Yamagishi, what happened?"

"The Shadow… Ratri… She split herself in half." She paused to catch her breath. "One half… kept us busy, while the other one slipped out of my radar…unleashed a Megidolaon when we defeated the other half." Noticing the direction of Shinjiro's gaze, she continued, "Don't worry Senpai, Minako-san's alright. She's been like that since we reached this place…" She coughed a little. "Juno and I protected her to the best of my ability…"

"Which reminds me… where's Aigis?"

She frowned. "Aigis… withstood the attack. The last thing I remembered, she was shielding us when Juno disappeared."

"Aigis-sama!" Shinjiro almost forgot about Theodore until he heard him call out Aigis's name. With surprising agility, the blond hurried to his master's side. Clearly, there was something inhuman about this guy. Was he really hit by a Megidolaon?

Theodore's expression was grim as he carried Aigis to them. Gently, he placed her down next to Yamagishi. The robot was in bad shape. An arm was dangling uselessly, while one of her headphone-like ears were missing. Her ribbon has been torn to shreds, and there were was a hole through her stomach, revealing her damaged circuits.

"Mitsuru-san, I have failed to finish it off. I am sorry." She reported, her blue eyes beginning to fade.

"Aigis, you have nothing to feel sorry about," said Kirijo, giving her a reassuring smile. "You've done a good job. Now, you must rest."

Aigis was unresponsive after that, her eyes dim. Yamagishi buried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry, if only I was able to sense the other half-"

Amada paused in tending over Minako. "Fuuka-san, you said something about 'another half'. So where is-"

"Look out!"

Shinjiro swore as he used his weapon to deflect the punch thrown in their direction.

Kirijo stood up, drawing to her full height. "Amada, use Samarecarm on everyone." Amada nodded. Casting one last look at Minako, he leapt to his feet and ran towards Aki, who was barely conscious. "Theodore, cover Amada." Theodore bowed at her and followed after Amada. "Aragaki, we're going to take down Ratri." A fierce, determined look was on Kirijo's face. Definitely a look Shinjiro did not want to be a recipient of. "Yamagishi, here." She tossed an egg to Yamagishi. "I'm sorry to impose on you, but I need you to act as our backup."

She smiled briefly. "You don't need to ask, Senpai." She swallowed the Precious Egg. As a burst of energy coursed through her, she knelt beside Minako and summoned Juno, encasing both of them in her protective globe.

Ratri withdrew its arm and began to circle the area, while Shinjiro eyed it warily, waiting for Yamagishi's analysis. Kirijo, with no weapon on hand, tightened her grip on her Evoker. The humanoid's sari was torn in several places, and it had a few holes through its body.

"It has suffered a good amount of damage already," said Yamagishi. (_Props to Aigis for holding her own against the Shadow_, Shinjiro thought.) "Hmm, this one doesn't seem to have the same regenerative capabilities as the other half, so go for it!"

"I summon thee!" Artemisia launched a Bufudyne, which Ratri quickly evaded.

"This one seems to be much more agile than the last one…"

"Could've told us that sooner," muttered Shinjiro as he charged at the Shadow, Bus Stop Sign in hand. He was about to land a blow on its center when Ratri grabbed his weapon using its hands. "Is this fucker's arms made out of freaking steel?" grunted Shinjiro as he forced the weapon into its chest.

A Ziodyne grazed the Shadow's face. "Damn, I missed," muttered Aki as he wobbled on his feet. Ratri turned its attention on the boxer, firing a Bufudyne at him. Kirijo was nimble enough to run in front of the ice attack, protecting Aki from his weakness.

While the shadow was distracted, Shinjiro placed his Evoker to his temple and fired, prepared to bash its face in with a God's Hand attack.

Shattering glass, check, but no sign of Castor, only a sudden splitting headache which caused him to stagger backwards, clutching a hand to his head in pain. The shadow took that pause as an opportunity to take a swipe at him. Blindly, he managed to dodge the arm that aimed for his head, however in doing so he felt a sharp pain on his right hand, which was nothing compared to the way stuff in his head were acting out. The force of the blow knocked his Evoker away. Dropping to his knees, his vision started to dim as the gun skittered across the ground, stopping by Kirijo's feet.

"Senpai!" were the last words he heard before his surroundings faded into darkness.

~o~

He opened his eyes, only to find himself in some pitch black environment. He blinked, hoping that he was just having trouble adjusting his vision. Nope, didn't work. What happened? The last thing he remembered was firing the Evoker and a headache that made him wish he were dead. Wait, was he dead? No, he could still feel his arms and legs. Tentatively, he took a step forward to see if he can move. Yeah, it worked. He can see his leather shoes, brown against the black floor. Strange, why can he see them despite the darkness? Was there some sort of invisible source of light? Panicked thoughts started to run through his head. Where in the world was he? Where was the Shadow? Minako? His fellow SEES members? Were they alright? Was _he _alright?

A voice spoke through the darkness. "Thou art I, and I am thou…"

Huh, what the fuck was that? Tilting his head upwards, he scanned the area, searching for the source of the deep, booming voice.

"Heh, just wanted to try out that line some time." A sonorous chuckle rang out. "Anyway, I believe it's the first time we have talked to each other." He whirled around in surprise, as the voice came somewhere from behind him. In addition, it dropped the resounding tone, so it sounded quite human. Eerily, it reminded him of his voice. He scratched his head in puzzlement, as there was nothing discernible behind him. _Where the hell did that voice come from?_

"Over here!" It spoke once more. The voice... came from below? He looked down, only to do a double take as he spotted a beaver by his feet. Thank you, invisible source of light.

It laughed. "Surprised? I thought so."

"Who the hell are you?"

"Castor," it replied in a matter-of-fact voice.

Shinjiro slapped a hand to his forehead in dismay. "You've got to be shitting me."

"No, I'm not shitting you. If I were doing that, then you would be buried alive in a ton of brick-sized-"

The brunet held up a hand to stop him from going on. "Okay, point taken. So what happened to the spear? The horse?"

"Oh, you mean this?" It closed its eyes for a moment it shape-shifted into the form of a blond man with a spear through its chest, riding a strange black horse. "Yeah, this would be my true form, but I kind of prefer this one." His Persona turned back to a beaver. "More furry, cuddly, easier to manage."

The animal was greeted by silence upon this revelation. "Well, this is awkward."

Shinjiro simply threw Castor a look that said, 'No shit, Sherlock.' Of course the encounter was weird. What was he supposed to say to his Persona, who never manifested itself outside battle? Add to that the fact that losing control of Castor has caused him to take the life of an innocent woman, well, things were bound to be very, very uncomfortable.

"I should've expected no less." He smiled ruefully. "Well, I did cause you a lot of trouble in the past."

Shinjiro finally found his voice. "True enough." He sat down next to Castor, crossing his legs. Might as well rest his limbs, seeing that so far, he had no way out of this place. "Why show your face to me, of all times, right now? What the hell happened back there in the rooftop?"

Castor shrugged. "I know nothing about a rooftop, but I thought I'd just say goodbye before I go."

"W-what, why?"

"Come on, we've been fighting together for, what, four years, more or less. Is it so wrong for me to say goodbye to a long time comrade?" The beaver crawled on his lap, making himself comfortable there.

Absentmindedly, Shinjiro began to stroke Castor's dark brown fur. "I know that, what I meant was…"

"Ah, my reasons for leaving?" The brunet nodded. "I suppose you should look inside your heart to find out." He looked back at him inquisitively. "You do know what's been bugging you lately, right?"

He stopped brushing Castor's soft fur. Even then, in that dark space, Minako found her way to his thoughts.

The beaver smiled knowingly. "Well then, I assume you know what you're going to do about her?"

"…Kinda," replied Shinjiro noncommittally.

"Well, then, I suppose there's no need for me to hang around anymore." He hopped off his lap. Looking back at him, he continued, "...This is goodbye, I guess."

"…Yeah."

"Take care, okay?"

"…I will."

He was about to walk away when Shinjiro followed up, "Hey Castor."

"Yeah?" The beaver paused, turning his head back to look at him.

"You pick the really worst times to come out on your own, you know?"

He groaned. "Sorry about that," Castor hung his head apologetically. "You can be sure it will never happen again, though." He laughed, and continued his walk on the road to nowhere.

"…And thanks. For everything."

He stopped dead on his tracks, surprised at the words. Taking one final glance at Shinjiro, he replied, "And same to you."

Shinjiro could've sworn he saw a tear forming at the corner of Castor's eye. Before he could dwell on it, his head started to feel like it was about to split again, and the world turned white.

~o~

The first thing he saw when his vision cleared was a fist flying towards his direction. Lacking time to react, he failed to dodge it. It landed a blow on his face, knocking him flat on the ground. Tch, that bruise will take a while to heal. A quick survey of his surroundings told him that no time seemed to have passed while he was confronting his Persona.

"Aragaki-senpai! Are you-" Yamagishi gasped in surprise as something appeared in front of Shinjiro.

He stared as he pulled himself to a sitting position, mesmerized at the blue card which floated in front of him. His body seemed to know what to do, as he subconsciously took it in his hand. The tarot card had the number XIV on it, with a blank spot where the image of the card should have been. As he stood up on his unsteady legs, the card suddenly shone brightly, a blast of wind emanating from it. He struggled to hold on to the card and persisted on holding his ground to prevent himself from being swept off his feet as the card began to let out a bluish steam.

_Smash it_, whispered a voice which sound oddly female.

Obeying the strange voice, he crushed the card in his fist. Materializing from the blue mist was the figure of a woman. She had long auburn hair, swept around her slim body. She wore a startlingly white dress, which accented her radiant, flawless skin. Her white wings fanned around her, shining as bright as the moon, lighting up the dark sky. She turned her dark-brown eyes on the Shadow. Pointing her right index finger at it, she blasted it with Maragidyne.

He stared at the woman in awe. "…Minako?" The color was a bit off, but there she was, a second Minako. A quick look at everyone's faces told him that he wasn't the only one who thought so, judging by the number of jawdrops he counted, and the looks that darted to and fro from his Persona and the unconscious brunette inside Juno's sphere.

Yamagishi was the first to get over the initial shock. "It's getting weaker."

"Indeed," said Kirijo as Iori, upon revival, charged at the recovering Shadow and proceeded to beat the crap out of it using his bat. Seeing that her comrades have been revived, she ordered, "The enemy's down. Let's finish this!"

"Lemme at 'em!" Takeba charged at the shadow, preparing to use her bow as a weapon of sorts.

"Okay, now!" Aki donned the Jack Frost Gloves and jumped in the fray.

"Understood." Amada clutched his spear as he prepared to assault the Shadow.

"Not the most dignified way to do it, but very well." Theodore shrugged and followed suit.

"Grr!" growled Koromaru as he assailed the enemy.

Ratri let out a piercing shriek after the flurry of attacks. As Koromaru dealt the final blow, it slowly faded away into nothingness.

"Did we finally do it in?"

"I think so. I don't sense it anymore."

"No part three, I hope."

"I agree with Fuuka-san, I no longer sense it."

"Oh yeah!"

Before they could bask in the glory of their victory, sirens sounded in the distance. "Oh crap, we'd better get going, or there'll be hell to pay."

_Yeah, Iori, for once I'd have to agree_, thought Shinjiro, shaking his head vigorously as he tried to dispel the image of his new Persona from his mind, with its uncanny resemblance to Minako. Gathering their belongings and aiding those who had trouble walking, they hastily exited the rooftop as the skyline's color transitioned to orange, slowly welcoming the dawn. Taking one last look at the destroyed rooftop, Shinjiro muttered, "Adios, asshole."

~o~

September 19, 2010

The next day, Shinjiro gingerly opened the door to Minako's room in the hospital. He felt nauseated as he stepped inside the room, his nose greeted by the overwhelming scent of all the flowers scattered around the room. Damn, he could probably open his own flower shop given the amount of bouquets he saw. _From the Volleyball Club, From the Student Council, From Kirijo Mitsuru_, and a ton of other admirers she had. It made him wonder what possessed them all to bring flowers. Were Get-Well-Soon cards out of fashion already?

That morning, they patched themselves up in the Kirijo mansion, while Kirijo and Theodore delivered Minako back to the hospital and brought Aigis to the research laboratory for repairs. Apart from a few cuts and bruises, none of them were worse for wear. After congratulating each other on the successful mission, they bade each other goodbye and returned to their respective homes.

When he woke up later in the afternoon, he was greeted by a message from Kirijo. _Minako's condition has stabilized, you may visit her today if you wish. Some of her friends already dropped by this morning. She has yet to wake up, though._

Covering his nose, he slowly made his way to Minako's side. "Hey Minako. Nice to see that the color's back in your face." He grinned at the sleeping girl as he grabbed a nearby stool and sat on it. "By the way, this place stinks." He wrinkled his nose at the smell. "I had a hard time wading through that shit." Folding his hands together, he rested his arms on the side of the bed and continued, "You know, when I first saw you early this month," He leaned towards the bed. "I wasn't quite sure what to make of you." Realizing that his face was too close to Minako's, his nose almost touching her shoulder, he did a double take. "I mean, why show yourself now?" He swallowed nervously. "Learning that you forgot what happened last year…" Anxiously, he started fiddling with his fingers. "What we all went through… well, let's just say 'shit hit the fan'."

He sighed heavily. "However, nearly losing you last Wednesday had a way of putting things into perspective." He stood up, glaring at the ceiling, balling his fist tightly. "Screw amnesia. Screw the last few months." His gaze softened when he laid his eyes on the brunette once more. "I don't want to lose you, not to damn Shadow, or to someone else."

He lowered his voice to a gentle whisper. "I love you, Minako. I don't know if you still feel the same way, but I will give you a fair chance to decide for yourself, whether I'm good enough for you or not."

"So, before we start over again, here's to us." He hovered over the bed. "To memories, and to the good times we had." Mustering whatever courage he had left, he leaned towards Minako and kissed her tenderly on the forehead. As much as he wanted his lips to linger there for a little longer, he withdrew. "The next one, I hope it's a time when you're awake."

"Hmm?" To his surprise, the girl began to stir. Fuck. This was not how he imagined the beginning of their so-called fresh start. How the hell was he supposed to explain his presence there? What was he going to say? "Hi Arisato-san, there's a perfectly good reason why my face was the last thing you saw when you lost consciousness, and the first thing you saw when you woke up."?

Hell if that was going to go well. He needed to make a hasty exit. "Now!" his mind screamed, and his body was inclined to agree as he bolted out of the room. In his panic, he knocked over one of the vases, but he didn't give a rat's ass about it. Throwing the door open, he hightailed it out of the room, thanking his lucky stars that no one was patrolling the corridor that moment.

~o~

September 21, 2010

The morning after Respect for the Aged Day, all students were assembled in the auditorium. The airconditioned room was abuzz with gossip. There was so much of it going around that Shinjiro gave up on tuning it out.

"Did you hear? The rooftop was blasted apart by a bomb."

"Yeah, they say it was the work of terrorists."

"They were supposed to close the school today for a prolonged investigation, but apparently the principal did not like that idea, so he forced them to wrap up the investigation yesterday."

"Really? That sucks. Man, I wish they did, so I'd have an extra day to rest. My manager was overworking me yesterday."

"No kidding? Even if it was a holiday?"

"Hey, I heard there was going to be a new teacher."

"Sweet. Male or female?"

"I hear it's a guy."

The hubbub was silenced by the principal as he stationed himself behind the podium, tapping the microphone. "Ahem. Welcome back students. As you have undoubtedly heard from the news, our school has been a victim of a vicious terrorist attack. Unfortunate as that may sound, I would like to assure you all that no one has been hurt in the incident and that Gekkoukan High is, and will remain a safe place for learning."

"Safe? I heard that they knocked out all the guards patrolling the campus!"

The whispering continued as the principal droned on about the new safety precautions the school took in the aftermath of the incident.

"While we're all gathered here, I would like to introduce a new member of our faculty. He will be replacing Mr. Ono, who went on a sabbatical to pursue his interest in… the Sengoku era."

Shinjiro was about to fall asleep on his chair when he heard a familiar, irritating voice. "Greetings." The statement drained the color out of his face. Fuck. No. For the love of God, no! Deep down, he still hoped that he was wrong. However, the rest of the statement sapped whatever hopes he had.

"My name is Theodore de Velours." A familiar male with platinum blond hair stepped forward. What made him look different was the absence of his cap and his elevator attendant uniform. Together with a pair of black slacks and dark leather shoes, he wore a brown long-sleeved shirt with a red necktie, topped by a black vest.

The air in the room, lifeless a few moments ago, was charged with energy as soon as Theodore appeared. The disgusted look on Shinjiro's face failed in expressing animosity he felt towards the newcomer. He was gripping the armrest so tightly that Iori did a double take upon seeing him. "Whoa, Senpai, I know you're not overly fond of Theo-san, but-"

"Oh my God, you know him, Senpai?" A girl with short, mousy brown hair leaned over, bouncing up and down excitedly. "You too, Iori-san?" She looked at him hopefully. Junpei promptly clapped a hand to his mouth, realizing what he just said.

Grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, Shinjiro hissed into Iori's ear, "Goddamn it, Iori, don't you know how to shut up?" Quickly letting go of the clown, he stared at the floor, ignoring the questioning glances thrown in his direction.

He did not care how much he owed Kirijo. He was going to kill her the next time he saw her.

In his opinion, this was an_ outrage._

* * *

><p>Finally, oh, finally! Super duper special awesome Chapter 6 is out! (God, I've wanted to try out that line for quite a while) *throws confetti* I hope the length (a little more than 11k words minus the AN and disclaimer) and content of this chapter makes up for the long, long wait!

I hope no one shoots me for my decision on Shinji's new Persona. There was no way I was sticking him with (*cough*beaver*cough*) Castor. NO WAY.

So, I made Theo into a party member. To keep things simple, the Persona he uses in the story will be the same as the Personas available to him when you fight his optional boss battle, excluding the superpowered Pixie and Mr. Megidolaon, err, I mean Beelzebub. Skills, he's got all the high tier offensive Ma- spells and all status ailment skills. He's not going to be as broken as he was in the game though, what with him leaving his post as a Velvet Room assistant.

Information on Shinjiro's new Persona:  
><em>Name<em>: Cassiel  
><em>Arcana<em>: Temperance  
><em>Affinities:<em> Fire (Absorb), Strike (Null)  
><em>Skills<em>: Regenerate 3, Maragidyne, Agidyne, Heaven's Blade, God's Hand, Akasha Arts, Power Charge, High Counter  
><em>Lore<em>: Cassiel is an archangel mentioned in noncanonical Biblical scripture. Depending on the literature being referred to, he is associated with either the planet Saturn (as Kafziel) or with the Moon (as Qafsiel). Unlike many other angels, Cassiel is known for simply watching the events of the cosmos unfold with little interference. Some New Age groups claim that he is the angel of fire and rules over lesser angels of fire. He is also known as the angel of solitude and tears. Also, he is often invoked by people when there is a lack of balance in their life, or when they are overwhelmed with stress. The author has not personally tried this, though.

I keep on saying "he", but Shinji's new Persona's actually a "she". Yeah, I took liberties that way.

I've seen Persona: Trinity Soul, and I'm not quite sure if I liked the way it turned out. I think it's a waste, though, if Ryou Kanzato's character wasn't used for a greater good. Since Trinity Soul's background explanation for most of the shit that happened in that story goes against canon, expect _Half Moon _to be an alternate universe of the anime.

Thank you, **Elleon Stormwrath**, for beta reading.

**Ohta Suzuke** and **random adventures**, I'm glad you loved it. :) **twilight sword master**, I was a little thrown off by your question. Considering the current time of the story, which is so far in the year 2010, I'd say that the most you're going to see of them (for now) are cameos. Direct participation in the plot is unlikely, because at this point in time, the Investigation Team members do not have their Personas yet, and Iwatodai's a good distance from Inaba.


	7. Pieces of a Puzzle

_Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Persona 3 or any of its reincarnations. All creative rights to the characters named in this story belong to Atlus and I certainly do not profit from this story. In fact, I think my laptop's crying over the hours I spend typing this story out._

* * *

><p><span>September <span>21, 2010

As soon as Toriumi dismissed them for lunch break, Shinjiro hastily escaped Classroom 3-F to look for a place where he could eat his lunch in peace. All morning, he had to dodge questions about his relationship to Theodore, no thanks to Iori. He was seriously going to stab someone with a pen the next time someone asks him about "Theo-sensei" or "That-teacher-who-can-pass-off-as-a-poster-boy-for-whitening-lotion".

It was worse than the time when Aki called him "Shinji" in front of their classmates. At least back then, they'd clam up right after receiving a death glare from him. This time, no amount of glaring, ignoring, and cursing stopped the questions from pouring in. Also in this case, he didn't give a damn what was Theodore's favorite color, food, music, or toothpaste brand.

His subconscious was about to lead him to the rooftop when he stopped on his tracks, remembering how Ratri decimated the rooftop the other day. Heaving a frustrated sigh, he frowned, thinking of a suitable substitute for the rooftop.

Yamagishi, Takeba, and Iori invited him to have lunch with them, but as usual, he declined. Iori seemed to be really sorry for what happened that morning, as he even offered to treat him to some dessert. It wasn't the potential of eating something terribly sweet that deterred him, rather, it was simply because he felt awkward eating with other people. He usually savored his food, so he tended to be the last one to finish eating. What he didn't like was at that point, it can't be avoided that some of the people around him would steal glances at him as he ate.

Unable to come up with any good alternatives, he decided to continue to the rooftop stairwell. He ignored the notice which said that the stairs led to a dead end, and settled on the third step past the landing.

For a while, he stared blankly at the wall. The area was dimly lit, with the sole source of light being the faint sunlight that filtered through the small space between the sealed rooftop entrance and the door frame. _I'll live with it_, thought Shinjiro. After all, the chatter downstairs was muted to an almost nonexistent buzz. Also, it wasn't as dusty as he thought it would be, and no one would probably think of looking for him there.

First, he needed to clarify something with Kirijo. After calming down, he realized that he cannot simply bust in the Kirijo mansion without a proper excuse, so he decided to call Kirijo instead.

"Yes, Aragaki?"

He took a deep breath to calm himself down. "Kirijo, what th—" He stopped himself in time. "Is _he _doing here?"

"'He'?" She paused for a while. "Ah, you mean, Theodore? Teaching history, of course," she said in a matter-of-fact voice. "When Ono-san left, someone needed to replace—"

"Damn it," he replied testily. "What I meant was, why him, of all people?"

Kirijo made an irritated noise over the phone. "To answer your question, aside from replacing Ono-san, I needed someone to be the SEES's club adviser. I am in no position to do so, because I am currently swamped with work. Theodore gladly volunteered to do it, and it just so happened—"

"Wait, you said it was a club, so this means—"

"Yes, Aragaki, I was getting around to that." She sounded very annoyed at this point. "You're the club president."

Shinjiro let out a string of expletives that made Kirijo threaten him with the word "execution".

"Louder, Aragaki, I don't think the whole of Iwatodai just heard what you said."

"Kirijo! Are you kidding me?"

"No," she replied flatly. "It's already in the paperwork, and all you have to do is act the part."

"Can't anyone else do it?"

"If there was, do you think I would have asked you?" was Kirijo's sarcastic reply. "I considered Yamagishi for the position, but she is too busy with her Technology Club and Cooking Club, which you should know by now."

Her words were greeted by silence. "If it's any comfort to you, Arisato will be released from the hospital this afternoon and will be returning to school tomorrow. She woke up last Sunday, roughly around the time you left." She chuckled. "Would you know anything about that, per chance?"

Damn. He forgot about the CCTV cameras situated around the corridors of the hospital. "Whatever." It didn't matter what he answered. Kirijo knew something, and he could picture her smirk over the phone.

True to his imagination, she continued in a tone that hinted that she knew more than she let on, "Is that so?" She was probably smiling right now. "Well then, my class starts in a while, so I bid you farewell." Not waiting for an answer, she ended the call.

For a while, Shinjiro just stared at his phone. He nearly jumped in surprise when it rang again. He checked the caller ID before answering. It was Suzuki Kariya, his manager at Chagall Café. "Hello?"

"Aragaki, I need you to cover for Asuma today. Are you available this evening?"

"Alright." The statement was phrased as a request, but the strained tone in which it was said led Shinjiro to believe that the expected reply was a 'Yes'.

"See you at six."

Shinjiro sighed as the line went dead, and started on his lunch. This was going to be a long day.

~o~

Shinjiro was lukewarm on the subject of history. He didn't like it, he didn't hate it. As with all of his subjects, he found it boring and thought of it as a necessary evil one had to go through in order to graduate. He understood the lessons just fine by listening to the teacher. For him, that, plus forced study sessions with Kirijo and Aki, was enough to net him a passing grade during exams. Kirijo often lamented that he could do better by taking down notes during class, and practically shoved him some notebooks and pens during the start of the school year. To humor Kirijo, he attempted to do as she asked. However, his old habits got the better of him, and he eventually gave up on that after a few weeks. Now, those items were simply dead weight inside his bag, which made him wonder why he even bothered bringing them with him in the first place.

Today, he was seriously rethinking his stand on the subject.

The door slid open to reveal Theodore, carrying a thick book, not unlike the tome he carried around during their battle.

"Good afternoon." Placing his book on the table, he addressed the class. "I'm Theodore de Velours. As you have undoubtedly heard this morning, I will be replacing Ono-sensei as your history teacher."

"Sensei!" A girl with layered brown hair seated in front raised her hand. Shinjiro recalled that this girl insisted on being called "Sakura-chan", and that she had an awful tendency to bounce a lot.

"Yes," Theodore consulted a piece of paper he pulled out from his book. "Fujimoto-san?"

The girl barely kept herself from jumping up and down in excitement when he called on her. "Sensei, 'de Velours' is very hard to pronounce." She giggled at her attempts to say his name.

"Indeed, the other class mentioned that." He chuckled. "You may call me Theo instead."

His announcement was met by murmuring. None of their teachers ever told them to call them by their first names. Shinjiro was tempted to slam his forehead on his desk. What the hell was Kirijo thinking, letting someone who lived under a rock assume a teaching position?

"Ahhh, Theo-sensei..." A girl sighed dreamily. She was not alone in her swooning, judging by the other sighs Shinjiro heard.

Theodore seemed to be oblivious to the fact that he was the object of several fantasies. "Hmm, according to this document, Ono-sensei taught World History in this class." He started talking to himself in a low voice, unaware that he was still audible to the whole class. "That's strange, he taught Japanese history in the other class. He teaches two subjects… Strange. He must be one amazing fellow to behold so much knowledge."

"Theo-sensei, it's normal for some teachers to be teaching two different subjects."

"Yeah, for instance, Miyahara-sensei teaches both algebra and geometry."

Theodore looked surprised to hear this. "I see." He consulted his paper once more. "So, Ono-sensei was about to start discussing World War I, am I correct?"

"Yes, Theo-sensei," piped up one of the girls seated in front.

If he was going to hear another "Theo-sensei", he was going to hurl. The contents of his stomach, or someone, whichever the situation called for.

The rest of the lesson proceeded in a normal manner, much to Shinjiro's surprise. He must've studied the art of teaching history, because the things coming out of his mouth were as dull as what Ono-sensei talked about back when he taught the subject. The only difference was that some girls were paying close attention to his words, while other girls sank into a deeper state of daydreaming. While Theodore discussed the causes of the war, Shinjiro reflected on the outfit the blond was wearing. There was something oddly familiar about it. In fact, it looked exactly like the one Aki wore back when Minako reappeared. Normally, he didn't remember clothes pretty well, but September 2 was a special day, and today was significant in a way, being one of the days he'd rather forget about.

Looks like Aki was going to get grilled when he gets home.

~o~

Returning from his part-time job, Shinjiro threw the door open as he marched in the room he shared with Aki.

Aki was still awake, sitting cross-legged on his bed, Looking up from his book, he managed a bleary-eyed grin at his friend. "Hey, Shinji."

Shinjiro did not smile back. "Aki, did you know anything about _that_ guy's job application to Gekkoukan?"

"'That guy'?" Aki frowned, knowing where this conversation was going. So far, besides that awful science teacher they had back in junior high, there was only one other guy that Shinjiro refused to call by name. Deciding that it was best not to lie, he replied, "Yes." Seeing Shinjiro's face turn livid with rage, he sighed tiredly. "Mitsuru knew you wouldn't take it well, so she asked me to keep it a secret." He yawned, then looked at his friend questioningly. "What gave you the idea that I knew about it?"

"...The outfit."

"The... OH!" It dawned on him. "I didn't really wear that thing often because the shirt was a little too big on me, so I lent it to Theo," He smiled bemusedly. "He had no clothes other than that flight attendant uniform we see him wear. That didn't seem like a proper teacher would wear."

Shinjiro carelessly dropped his bag by the foot of his bed. "Some of your pheromones must have rubbed off on him, he's getting a fanclub to rival yours."

Aki laughed feebly. "Are you jealous, Shinji?"

Shinjiro gaped at his friend, aghast at his statement. What on earth gave him that idea? "Hell no." Too tired to continue arguing with his friend, he took off his shoes and socks and crawled under his sheets. Without a word, he turned away from his friend, facing the wall. He shut his eyes as he forced himself to fall asleep as Aki hummed to himself, a tune that suspiciously sounded like "Happy Birthday."

~o~

September 22, 2010

"Minako-chan..."

"Mina-chan..."

"Arisato-san..."

"Welcome back!" chorused Class 3-F, with Shinjiro joining in half-heartedly. Sure, he loved the girl to bits, but was it really necessary for the class to call attention to Minako's absence?

Minako seemed to be embarrassed about the attention, but it looked like she was enjoying it anyhow. "Aww… you didn't have to!" She beamed at her classmates as she was besieged by hugs. Once she untangled herself from the crowd, she grinned widely at everyone else and made her way to her seat. She used the same smile on Shinjiro, who acknowledged her with a lazy wave of his hand after a quick glance in her direction. Lately, he felt more in control of how he acted toward her, but those smiles still had a devastating effect on him. If he didn't watch himself, he'd probably do something that would surprise the whole class.

The bell rang, and everyone returned to their seats. He looked behind him, and noticed Minako smiling serenely at him. Before anything resembling a blush could creep into his cheeks, he smiled awkwardly at her and went back to studying the surface of his armchair. He felt really embarrassed about his monologue at her bedside. He wasn't sure if Minako remembered it, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to know. Whatever the case was, he needed to approach her a little more carefully from now on.

~o~

Shinjiro was greeted by the smell of fried chicken when he returned to the dormitory that afternoon. Aside from the pleasant smell, he was surprised to see a slender man, wearing a pair of black pants and violet polo-shirt, relaxing on the sofa farthest from the TV. In all honesty, he never expected to see Niwatori Haru, the only other person renting a room in the Kitamura household. He was usually busy with his work in the city, leaving even earlier than Aki. Niwatori returned late in the evening, and Shinjiro rarely saw him for the guy had a tendency to lock himself inside his room, whiling his hours away in front of the computer.

"Ah, Aragaki-kun!" The dark-haired man shifted into a sitting position, grinning at the newcomer. "Welcome back." Sheepishly, he ran a hand through his layered hair.

"Niwatori-san." Shinjiro greeted him as he took a nearby seat.

Niwatori smiled bemusedly at Shinjiro. "Not even surprised why I'm here, instead of dating my computer?"

Shinjiro took out a book from his bag. "Somewhat."

"Hah, you'd better be!" He looked at Shinjiro to see his reaction. The brunet simply raised an eyebrow at him, and then opened his book to read. Not minding Shinjiro's lack of interest, he continued on his monologue, "My boss let me out early. Bonus for finishing the project I was working on." He grinned at the memory. "Of course, I jumped at a chance to get home early. More hours for playing _Devil __Survivor_." He clapped his hands together. "However, my plans changed after I smelled Mitsuko's fried chicken."

At those words, a small, amused smile formed on Shinjiro's lips. Strangely enough, Niwatori's favorite food was chicken, like his namesake. He wasn't sure if he got enough grief over having a name that was associated with the words "spring" and "chicken", but Niwatori seemed like a good-natured man, judging from the times they actually interacted with each other. A little annoying, since he liked to drone on about himself and his favorite online game, but someone he can tolerate.

"You're smiling!" teased Niwatori. "I swear you should do that more often, it looks really nice on you." Shinjiro simply rolled his eyes at that statement, going back to his novel and tuning out most of Niwatori's blabbering about his project and his videogame addiction.

"…So there, I asked Mitsuko what was the occasion, and she said it was Sanada-kun's birthday."

Oh yeah, September 22. Shinjiro slapped a hand to his forehead, remembering that it was Aki's birthday.

Speaking of the devil, Aki came in through the door. Exhausted, he threw himself on the remaining unoccupied sofa and sank his face into the soft cushion.

"Damn, Aki, what happened to you?"

Not looking up from his position, Akihiko mumbled something unintelligible.

"Care to repeat that, Sanada-kun?" said Niwatori.

Heaving a tired sigh, Aki pulled himself into a seating position and settled for slouching on the seat. "Quiz in the morning, fitness run afterwards, then sparring at Gekkoukan."

Niwatori whistled. "Hoo boy, what a way to spend your birthday."

Aki smiled ruefully. "Yeah."

"Oh? So this better lighten up your day!" Mitsuko entered the lounge from the kitchen, beaming as she carried a plate of drumsticks into the room. The scent of the oil filled the room, causing Haru to drool and to gaze longingly at the food.

Shinjiro quickly got on his feet. "I'll help with that, Mitsuko."

"No, it's okay, Shinjiro-kun. I can handle this just fine." The elderly woman smiled at him. "I do need some help bringing the pasta here, and the sauce, too."

"Okay." He walked into the kitchen and did as he was told.

After the spaghetti with meatballs, fried chicken, and utensils were placed on the table, Bunkichi entered the lounge, carrying a chocolate cake. "Happy Birthday, Aki-kun!"

Shinjiro chuckled to himself as Mitsuko scolded Bunkichi for nearly dropping the cake. He never knew what it was like to have parents, much more grandparents, since he was orphaned at a very young age. Somehow, it was these little moments that made him feel like he regained what he had lost a long time ago.

~o~

September 23, 2010

Shinjiro yawned as he climbed down the stairs. Ever since he started staying in the Bunkichi household, he woke up early-a contrast to the days he resorted to setting a marching band tune as his alarm just to get up-except for the days wherein he had work the night before. Not as early as Aki, though. Even until now, his friend was dedicated to his morning exercise regime.

For today, he knew that Aki woke up early for a different reason. As Shinjiro recalled, Kanzato was visiting today, since it was a holiday. True enough, Aki was already at the lounge, engrossed in a conversation with his college friend.

Noticing Shinjiro's arrival, Kanzato greeted him. "Good morning, Aragaki-san."

"'Morning, Kanzato."

He dragged his feet towards the kitchen and made himself a cup of coffee. Gingerly handling his drink, he returned to the lounge and took a vacant couch. He sipped his coffee, watching the morning news as Aki and Kanzato chatted about school.

Shinjiro shut off the TV to raise an observation. "Aki, up to now, you're still on last name terms with Kanzato?"

"It's preparation for work." Aki smiled. "Better start now."

"I see." Shinjiro took a piece of bread lying on the table and bit into it.

"Hmm, so Aragaki-san, how have you been doing lately?" asked Kanzato.

"Doing fine, I guess." Shinjiro's reply was followed by dead air. He didn't dislike Kanzato, but conversations between them were awkward. He wasn't sure if it was due to their lack of common interests, or the fact that he was still busy getting over Minako's death during the first time they met, but there was something that prevented them from connecting with each other.

He tried a different tack. "Has Aki found anything else more interesting than boxing?"

It broke the ice, nevermind that it was at Aki's expense. Kanzato laughed, while Aki snorted at the question. "Unfortunately, no. He has a bit of a following at school, though."

Aki groaned. "Don't remind me."

"He asked." Kanzato shrugged. "To be honest, it's a miracle none of your fangirls have ambushed you on the way to class. Yet."

"It's all thanks to you, actually."

"All thanks to me? Do I look that scary? The looks those girls have been shooting in your direction when they think you're not looking? Now that's what I call scary."

"It's not that. More of the fact that you're almost always with me when they're around."

"Honestly, I don't think it would make a difference, whether I was with you or not."

"Speaking of 'looks', I've seen the glances Nikaido-san has been throwing in your direction…"

"…What? We're just friends, and you know it."

Shinjiro finished the rest of his bread and watched as Aki and Kanzato continued to bicker over Kanzato's relationship to this "Nikaido-san". The conversation amused him, but somehow, he was happy for Aki. It was nice to see his friend leveling with another person, moreover, someone who seemed like a decent guy. Kanzato didn't look like the type to use Aki for his popularity. He was afraid that Aki's pretty boy looks and general aloofness would hinder his ability to make other friends, but he was glad that it wasn't the case.

"Aragaki-san!" In a last-ditch attempt to change the subject, Kanzato diverted his attention to Shinjiro. "If you don't mind me asking…"

"Go on," said Shinjiro, noticing Kanzato's hesitation.

"Have you found any interesting ladies lately?"

Shinjiro frowned at him. _Wait a minute._ As far as he knew, the only humans who remembered Minako's existence were the ones in SEES. Just how much did Kanzato remember about the summer break?

"Ah, sorry about that." Ryou looked uncomfortable. "That question was insensitive…"

"It's not that…"

Aki noticed the strange look on Shinjiro's face, and got the message. "Kanzato, what exactly do you remember about Shinji the last time you met?"

"Well …" At that point, Kanzato was definitely uneasy about the situation. "Arisato-san—" Shinjiro and Aki exchanged dumbfounded looks. Upon seeing the looks on their faces, Kanzato nervously added, "—never mind."

~o~

Akihiko was just as shocked as Shinji when he found out that Kanzato remembered Minako. As an explanation for their stunned expressions, he assured Kanzato that they were merely surprised to hear Minako's name, after all that's happened. The half-truth did not seem to convince Kanzato, but fortunately, he did not ask for more details. Shinji and Kanzato tried to make small talk after that, but it sounded forced. Akihiko took that as his queue to drag Kanzato out of the dormitory and into the strip mall. Once they were outside, Kanzato visibly relaxed. Their interactions went back to normal, save for the fact that he was a bit more wary about Shinji and was keen to avoid topics that would point to him.

_Did Ryou have a Persona?_ Mitsuru had a theory that Persona users were somehow immune to the mind wipe caused by Minako's reappearance. He was inclined to believe in it, seeing that people outside their group gave no sign of having known Minako before. Notably, Bunkichi and Mitsuko did not recognize the name, even when he asked them outright about knowing a girl named Arisato Minako.

When Akihiko came to think about it, Mitsuru was extraordinarily suspicious about Kanzato, especially after hearing his last name. She went as far as warning him to be careful around Kanzato when he first mentioned him in one of their conversations. At first, he thought she was simply giving him a customary warning about making new friends; however, there could have been something more to it.

In addition, Kanzato had a tendency to frown every time he heard the word "Kirijo", may it be on television or spoken by someone within earshot. Akihiko interpreted that as his friend's general dislike for the Group's activities, which were very profit-oriented in nature, but could it have been deeper than that?

His mind drew a blank when he tried to connect Kanzato with the Kirijo Group. It made him realize how little Kanzato shared about his past. All he knew was that Kanzato lived alone, because his parents passed away earlier that year, and that he sent off his siblings to live with some relatives at Tokyo. No wonder he wasn't so pushy when Akihiko was blatantly keeping secrets from him-it looked like Kanzato also had things to hide.

Still, there were several things he was sure about. One, he owed Mitsuru a visit, and two, reading people was definitely not his forte.

~o~

September 25, 2010

Shinjiro was aware that his luck was rotten. Whenever he got into a fistfight back in elementary school, somehow, he was the only person who ends up getting punished, or the one pinpointed as the one who started the fight, even when it wasn't true. His tendency to be at the wrong place at the wrong time did not change as he entered high school. The only time he actually managed to escape the authorities was when he lost control of Castor and killed Amada's mother, but he wasn't exactly proud of that. He had a sneaking suspicion that the universe really enjoyed working against him, but it wasn't like he had any solid proof.

With that said, it shouldn't have been a surprise for him when he drew the red stick during Cooking Club, and was relegated the task of being the club's representative for the school's crossdressing competition.

He wasn't the type to complain to other people, but that particular incident left such a bitter taste in his mouth that he felt compelled to say his thoughts out loud while helping Yamagishi clean up after their club meeting.

"Yamagishi, for the love of all whatever holy being you worship, I am _not_ doing it."

She looked up from the appliance she was inspecting, and smiled bemusedly at Shinjiro's protests. "Senpai, we drew lots for it. It was fair enough."

He knew that Yamagishi was right. Still, he preferred risking food poisoning by eating one of Yamagishi's pre-Cooking Club concoctions rather than parading around in drag during the cultural festival.

His clubmates were terrible at hiding their delight over the whole matter. Aside from those eerie giggles, he was sure that they were talking about him in low voices, mentally dressing him up in their minds. Shuddering at the thought, he started mopping the floor furiously in an attempt to rid his mind of a certain bad mental image that popped up while he was lamenting on his unfortunate situation.

"Hmm," Yamagishi sounded taken aback by his apprehension. "Senpai, don't worry about it so much, we'll be here to help."

In all honestly, he did not find that statement very reassuring. Sighing deeply, he continued his cleaning work in silence. His clubmates' idea of help? That, he did not want to think about.

~o~

It was late in the afternoon when Junpei strutted towards Port Island Station, twirling his key chain around his finger while humming to himself.

The sun was beginning to turn orange, paving the way for the night's arrival. He was in a good mood that day. His father has been making good progress in laying off the booze, partially thanks to his vigilance on the matter. To the surprise of his classmates, he managed to perfect Theodore's pop quiz on the beginnings of World War I. Also, during baseball practice, he managed to do a home run, which led his team to victory.

While he was walking towards the station, a prickling feeling at the back of his neck made him freeze on his tracks. He knew that feeling. Granted, his perception was not as honed as his other teammates. It was the nagging feeling you get when someone's watching you, poised to attack.

Gripping his keychain as if it were an amulet to ward off some mean spirit, he whirled around, searching for the source of the intense gaze. No, not the street sweeper over there. Definitely not the couple making out by the theater. Nope, that man was too busy picking his nose. Eventually, his eyes settled on a redheaded girl sitting on one of the benches by the flower bed. He squinted at her, and his heart skipped a beat upon recognizing the person.

Chidori. The last time he saw her, it was a fleeting glance outside the station. She looked a bit different, but it was her. No mistaking that sketchbook on her lap, and those carefully painted eyelids. It took him a while to determine her identity because of her choice of clothing, for the only clothes he saw her in were her white gothic lolita outfit and that sickly green Kirijo-issued hospital gown. Now that he was able to study her appearance, he was surprised to note that she looked good in the outfit she wore. In fact, she cleaned up pretty nicely. Her long, red hair hung loosely from her shoulders, minus the white hairband she traditionally wore. She was wearing a white shirt, together with a black jacket. Her black pencil skirt reached up to her knees and was accompanied by a pair of knee-high boots. At that moment, her pale, right hand was clasping a pencil, frozen over a spot in her sketchbook.

She was definitely the source, for her reddish brown eyes were focused intently on him. Amazingly, she remained unfazed when his dark eyes met her burning stare. Not the way he imagined his reunion with her, but it was a good start as any. Junpei made his way towards her.

When Junpei was a few meters away, Chidori snapped out of her trance. She hastily looked away in embarrassment, as Junpei stopped in front of her, peering at her curiously. "Sorry about that." She put down her pencil on the bench and folded her hands on her lap. "I don't know what came over me."

"It's okay." Junpei smiled and took a seat beside her, carefully distancing himself from Chidori so as not to frighten her. "Was I blocking your view? You were drawing something, right?" He glanced at her lap in interest.

Her cheeks flushed red. "It's nothing." She grabbed her sketchbook and closed it before he could take a closer look at it.

_Damn, Chidori looks really cute when she blushes_, Junpei thought, his grin widening. Could this day get any better? "I don't think so," he teased.

Her face burned even brighter. "Absolutely not!" she glared at him indignantly.

He chortled. "Man, I was just kidding." His tone turned serious. "Anyway, be careful where you space out. Never know, you might be staring into the eyes of a serial killer or something."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "How is my safety of any concern to you?"

"Hmm? Is it wrong to be concerned over a lovely lady such as you?"

"…Shut up." She looked away as her cheeks burned red once more.

He laughed again. "Anyway, the name's Iori Junpei." He stood up. "I'm off, have work to do." He took off his cap, and bowed at her. "Take care of yourself, Madam."

Much to his surprise, she giggled at his antics. "…Chidori. Yoshino Chidori." She covered her mouth upon realizing she gave out her name. "Why am I giving you my name? It's strange…" She looked at him in awe.

Junpei laughed. "Must be my charming good looks at work."

This caused Chidori to laugh derisively. "You really know how to kid around, don't you?"

He pretended not to notice that. "Alright, see you around, Chi—, I mean, Yoshino-san."

"Yes, Iori-san." As an afterthought, she added hesitantly, "Take care."

~o~

September 26, 2010

"Iwatodai Station, Iwatodai Station."

Fuuka knew from the moment she saw Aragaki-senpai's new Persona, she had no chance at all. After they sort of made up during Aigis's birthday, she thought that it was possible for her to try again. However, whatever hopes she had were crushed along with that card used to summon Cassiel.

She tightened her grip on the railing as the train decelerated when they neared the station. She used her free hand to support her laptop bag, since its strap was in danger of slipping off her shoulder. When the train stopped, she took that as an opportunity to adjust her bag, slinging the strap over her body instead of over her shoulder as she stepped out of the train.

Personal feelings aside, there was something that felt off about Cassiel. She wasn't able to pinpoint what it was exactly, but she assumed that it had something to do with the concept of Persona. Statistic-wise and skill-wise, nothing was wrong. She was similar to Castor, except that she was able to absorb fire and null pierce skills, in addition to throwing fire spells at the enemy.

Fuuka followed the crowd through the turnstiles and weaved her way to the exit. On the subject of Personas, she always thought of a Persona as a manifestation of one's personality. It was strange enough that Aragaki-senpai's Persona underwent an arcana change, but what really bothered her was Cassiel's uncanny resemblance to Minako. It really felt wrong, for some reason. It wasn't only her feelings on the matter, but she was getting strange vibes from that Persona. Altogether, it felt like Cassiel was someone else's Persona. It did not make sense, but those were the words that fairly suited what she felt, for now.

Eventually, Fuuka emerged from the station, and began to walk home. Speaking of strange vibes, she had a bigger thing to worry about. Why did she sense Nyx from Ratri? Ability-wise, Ratri and Nyx were worlds apart in terms of power. If Ratri had the power of Nyx, no doubt, they would've been annihilated in no time flat. It wasn't only the rooftop that was going to be wiped out. The only thing they had in common was their speed in unleashing attacks. Still, it was fortunate that their abilities did not suffer a downgrade despite their lack of training for the past few months.

She sighed. This battle analysis was giving her a mild headache.

Just in time, she finally reached the modest bungalow her family lived in. Before unlocking the small, iron gates that led to her home, she took a deep breath and forced a smile. It was time for her to put on her game face. She was happy that her parents finally realized that she had her own mind. Ever since they stopped forcing her on the path they chose for her, their relationship has been steadily improving for the past few months. Part of her family's relationship improvement scheme was their Sunday dinners, which none of them have missed, so far. She didn't want to ruin the dinner her mother prepared by brooding unnecessarily. There was a time and place for everything, and her thoughts about the supernatural were definitely things she cannot share over the dinner table.

~o~

That night, Kirijo Mitsuru was having trouble falling asleep.

She knew that she was supposed to relax for now. Ever since they defeated Ratri, no other Shadows appeared the past week, and that afternoon, Yamagishi confirmed that was indeed the case. Also, Theodore and Yamagishi volunteered to take over her Shadow activity monitoring duty, which was supposed to be a load off her back.

She shifted her weight on the bed, adjusting her blanket as she did so. Nevertheless, those things did not stop her from worrying. She had a feeling that Ratri's appearance and Minako's miraculous resurrection were definitely related. The coincidences cannot be overlooked, such as Minako collapsing on the day the Shadow appeared, and the mere fact that the Shadow appeared a few weeks after she returned to the land of the living. However, those were merely coincidences, nothing more. She needed something more solid to connect the two phenomena, and that particular connection eluded her for the past few weeks. It bugged her, not being able to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Also, throwing in Kanzato Ryou into the equation somewhat complicated matters. Akihiko shared his suspicions regarding his friend, which served to confirm what she suspected months ago. In her opinion, Ryou's case was unrelated to Minako's, but she was open to the possibility that they were mildly connected somehow. For now, she let Ryou be, although she intended to continue keeping tabs on him.

The humming of her bedroom's air conditioner usually didn't bother her, but this evening, it sounded louder than usual. It was probably her imagination, but if that kept up for several days, she was going to have it checked.

She closed her eyes, trying to tune out the noise. No use thinking about it right now. She went through these thoughts almost every night, and it was high time she gave herself a break from them. Tomorrow was another day at university, and on top of that, she had a meeting with her Group's board of directors to discuss some matters regarding the Kirijo Group's stability. She should handle those first, then she could go back to worrying about those extraordinary circumstances later.

After all, right now, she was not alone anymore. It was times like these that she had to remind herself that she had friends she could count on, and that once in a while, it was okay for her to share her burden with them.

With the latter thoughts occupying her mind, she finally managed to relax and was able to fall asleep at two in the morning, with a small smile on her lips.

* * *

><p>I apologize for the time it took me to come up with this chapter. Most of it was already written around late October, but it underwent several rewrites, and in between all those, I enjoyed my distractions a bit too much. Aside from watching P4: The Animation and FateZero, I'm catching up on other anime such as Noein and Sengoku Basara during my free time. xD I also took some time to reformat the old chapters, since it was getting a bit tiresome to type out the locations together with the dates.

Since break's over, expect the releases to be a bit slower. After all, I have some goals that I wish to accomplish during my last semester in college. I'll try to publish a chapter at least once a month (if worse comes to worst, two months), but overall it depends on how busy I will be at school. Or how I deal with writer's block and distractions in general.

Thanks for the reviews! I really enjoy hearing from my readers. :) Please feel free to tell me what you liked, what you hated, or what points I can improve on.

**Ohta****Suzuke**, I'm happy that my story was able to invoke such emotion. XD **Shinjirosenpailover**, I've been planning that for quite a while, and I really enjoyed writing that part. **Wrathie ****Winsre**, I have noted your feedback. It's nice to hear someone's had a laugh out of this story. I really intended this to be a Romance/Comedy, but the themes in the story more Drama ensues. **sabriefacade**, that's an interesting concept, and I'll give that some thought. **Adelaide ****'Adell' ****Peirce**, I'm glad you liked it.

Also, before I go, I'd like to thank **Elleon Stormwrath** for the pre-chapter publishing feedback.


	8. Memory

_Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Persona 3 or any of its reincarnations. All creative rights to the characters named in this story belong to Atlus and I certainly do not profit from this story._

* * *

><p><span>October 1, 2010<span>

"Hey, did you see—"

"Man, Ekoda-sensei's homework was such a—"

That morning, Shinjiro was perfectly aware of the stares and dropped conversations that occurred as soon as he walked through the corridors of Gekkoukan High. He was sure that people would notice, after all, he's had it for a long time. However, he wasn't expecting their reactions to be this bad.

Things improved only slightly as he entered Classroom 3-F. There were fewer people, only that pigtailed girl who constantly asked Yamagishi for homework help, the Morimoto guy who sat next to him, and that Tomochika person Iori hung around with a lot.

Yamagishi's homework buddy was busy cramming some work, so she didn't notice his arrival in the classroom. Morimoto was fast asleep on his desk, and Tomochika was busy talking on his cellphone, though he did raise an eyebrow at him as he entered the room.

Without looking back, Shinjiro made his way to his desk and promptly slumped on it. Feigning sleep seemed to be the best way to deal with the situation, since he was not in the mood to see his classmates' reactions.

During his life as a wanderer, he kept his hair a little long, since the wind tended to get nippy at night. After all, catching a cold and buying medicine really cut into his budget. Those drugs Strega were peddling didn't come in cheap. He found no reason to drop the habit when he quit that kind of life.

However, an incident yesterday led to the situation he was stuck in right now. When he returned to the Kitamura residence after another day at school, the lounge had been turned into an impromptu hair salon. Aki was seated on one of the bar stools while Mitsuko was busy trimming his hair, which was starting to grow out in certain places. All the while, Bunkichi watched on, admiring his wife's handiwork.

Shinjiro wasn't sure what he was supposed to be more surprised about, the fact that Mitsuko and Bunkichi were home on a day Bookworms was supposed to be open, or the fact that Aki was home early. Before he can comment on either incident, Mitsuko managed to sweet-talk him into getting a trim. He always had a hard time refusing the old lady, and this request was no exception.

A few moments later, he found himself with a shorter, clean-cut hairstyle. His hair no longer reached his shoulders, and instead it reached up to the nape of his neck. Heck, after all these years, he actually felt the wind on his neck. Aki told him that he looked great with his new hair, and Shinjiro found no reason to doubt him, considering that his friend was the type to tell him flat out of he looked awful.

However, those looks on the faces he passed by on the corridor made him wonder if Aki was exaggerating a bit.

"Dude." Someone poked him on the shoulder. Not in the mood to respond, he ignored the person.

"Hey." Another jab on the shoulder. He was starting to get ticked off. Can't that person leave him in peace? "You'd better get off that chair, it's—" Annoyed, he looked up from where he was resting to glare daggers into the person disturbing him. It was Iori, with a stupefied expression on his face. "Holy shit, Senpai, is that you?"

"No, I'm actually Karasu, and came from an alternate reality," he replied sarcastically. "Seriously Iori, do you have to ask?" Shinjiro quickly scanned the room and wasn't surprised to note that some heads were turned to their direction, given Iori's outburst. The classroom was more than half-full, and a glance at the wall clock at the back of the 3-F told him that it was a matter of time before the rest of the class arrived.

Iori was in the middle of recovering his bearings when Takeba and Yamagishi entered the room.

"Hello, Senpai." Takeba smiled at him. "Nice haircut."

"Good morning, Aragaki-senpai. I agree with Yukari, it looks good on you."

Iori scowled. "Wait a minute, so I was the only one who didn't recognize Shinjiro-senpai?"

Then, Minako arrived. The one whose opinion mattered. "Good morning, Aragaki-senpai." She smiled at him, that smile that turned his face into a freaking tomato. "That haircut suits you."

And with that, Shinjiro's day was made.

~o~

October 2, 2010

The next day, Shinjiro found himself walking to Naganaki Shrine. As an agreement between the members of SEES, they visited the shrine every so often to keep Koromaru company. That Sunday was Shinjiro's turn, and in the paper bag he carried with him were some raw hide bones Koromaru was sure to like.

It was cloudy that morning, and a light breeze blew. Tree leaves were scattered on the ground, giving a light crunching sound when Shinjiro stepped on them as he climbed up the stairs.

He froze at the top of the stairs. The shrine was empty, except for a girl that was idling by the playground. It was none other than Minako. She was staring intently at the playground, with an unreadable look on her face. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts, since she hasn't noticed him yet.

He wasn't sure if he should approach her. For the past week, he didn't have many opportunities to talk to her, save for the occasional exchange of greetings around the classroom, take for instance, yesterday. Whether it be admirers, advice-seekers, or simply her friends, she was always surrounded by a lot of people According to Takeba, it was similar to the way things were back in their second year. He did not have the heart to invade that circle which surrounded her, as he knew that his presence was often a cause for people to slink back into the shadows.

Much to his alarm, he saw a tear rolling down her cheek. Before he could react, Minako whirled around, and there was a look of surprise along with her tears. "Senpai!" She hurriedly wiped her tears away using her arm and looked away quickly, embarrassed.

"What's the matter?" He gave her a concerned look. As far as he knew, Minako wasn't a crier. She tended to keep all her pain to herself, and whenever something upset her, she preferred not to say anything at all. The only time he actually saw her tears was during the time he was shot by Takaya during the Dark Hour, and that memory was quite vague in itself. Those tears were definitely a cause for concern.

She began to study the ground earnestly. "I…"

"You don't have to keep things to yourself, you hear?" He was about to cross his arms, but decided to keep them on his hips instead. "It's okay to let things out once in a while."

Minako managed a small smile at his words. "You look and sound like a mother hen, Senpai."

"Well, yeah." He realized the strangeness of his pose and let his arms fall to his side. "I can be that, for you…" His cheeks reddened a bit. "…If you want, that is."

"I guess I'll take you up on that invitation." She glanced at the benches by the playground. "Let's take a seat first, I'm going to warn you now, this is going to be one long rant."

"Okay." Shinjiro followed Minako across the playground and took a seat next to her. He was amazed that his heart wasn't having palpitations being this close to her, and that he wasn't blushing as wildly as he expected to be.

Minako took a deep breath as they settled themselves on one bench. "So, I just remembered how I used to play with Maiko-chan over there…"

Maiko, hasn't he heard that name before?

"Not only that… Akinari-san… Mutatsu-san… Tanaka-san…"

An odd sense of déjà vu crept over him as he recalled a similar incident last year. Back then, wasn't she also crying?

"That's not all." She smiled ruefully. "I also remembered Bunkichi-san and Mitsuko-san."

Shinjiro flinched at her words, but she didn't notice, and continued to talk. "In fact, they were the trigger for all this." She sighed. "Yesterday evening, I dropped by Bookworms to look for a magazine…" A troubled look crossed her face as she said this. "Things were pretty normal, until I went to the counter to pay for the item. I've been to the store several times already, so things should've gone smoothly. But when I saw them, something inside my mind… clicked." She bit her lower lip in an attempt to hold back a sob.

"Hey…" He wanted to put an arm around her, but he wasn't sure if it would be uncalled for in this situation. Instead, he pulled out a white handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her.

"No, it's okay." She forced a smile at him as she turned down the item. "So right now, they don't seem to remember me. When I called their names, they seemed surprised to hear it from me." Her smile faded as she said this. "To be honest, I don't remember much about them either, just their names. When I try to recall more things about them, I only get a headache and this dull pain in my chest. I thought that they might know something about me."

"On the other hand, I remember the others quite clearly." She smiled wistfully as she began to recall her memories. "Maiko-chan was a girl with big dreams, and an even bigger heart. Akinari-san was a very deep young man, and I remember how depressed I felt when he… when he…"

Shinjiro offered the handkerchief again, and this time, Minako accepted it. After blowing her nose noisily, she continued, "Mutatsu-san was terrifying at first, but he actually cares deeply for his family. Tanaka-san, on the other hand…" She started giggling, probably at some ridiculous memory associated with the TV shopping host.

He still did not completely understand who those people were, but if it helped Minako in anyway, he was willing to listen all day.

She seemed to have noticed his confusion, since she changed the topic. "So this implies that I used to live around the area, if I met these people last year…" She perked up as what looked liked an idea came to her. "Could I have gone to Gekkoukan High?" A moment of silence passed as Minako gazed expectantly at Shinjiro, waiting for his answer.

"I'm in no position to answer your question, since I skipped class often." Technically, it wasn't a lie, but he still felt bad about it. It wasn't the time for the truth. Now, it will simply confuse her, and there was no guarantee that she will believe him.

"I see." She sounded disappointed.

"Still, isn't it a good thing, getting your memories back?" He hastened to reassure her. "This could mean that the rest would soon follow as time passes, right?"

"I hope so, but still it raises more questions than answers…" She sighed once more, and for a while, she simply studied her hands as Shinjiro looked on in concern. After what seemed like eons, she finally spoke. "Anyway, thank you for the kind words, Senpai."

"I didn't say much."

She chuckled at his response. "How about 'thank you for listening', then?"

He pondered on her words, and then nodded seriously. "Better."

"And, Senpai, before I forget, thank you for taking care of me a few weeks ago." She smiled serenely at him. "I wasn't able to thank you when I returned, so…"

"Don't mention it." If he had his hat with him right now, he would've pulled it over his eyes. Instead, he settled for averting his gaze from her. That smile never failed to trigger that burning sensation he felt on his cheeks. "Any sane person would have done the same."

"Are you blushing, Senpai?" She smiled mischievously. "Did you see something you weren't supposed to?"

"Hell no!" He was mildly relieved that she didn't sense what he was truly feeling that moment, but being mistaken for a pervert was something he was not expecting.

Minako seemed to find his reaction amusing. "Just kidding."

"Tch." Apparently, he should have known better.

She stifled a giggle. "Sorry, Senpai, it's just so fun to tease you sometimes."

He was about to protest again when she quickly followed up, "Anyway, want to go out for a snack? My treat for listening to my rant this morning."

Shinjiro quickly scanned the shrine as he considered her offer. Some worshippers started to arrive, and there were some idling by the chozuya, while others were wishing in front of the offertory box. There was still no sign of Koromaru.

He was about to accept when a familiar shiba inu bounded up the stairs and ran to him. "Hello little fella." He began to stroke Koromaru's head. "You almost missed us."

Koromaru sniffed, then glanced expectantly at the paper bag beside Shinjiro. Noticing this, Shinjiro said, "Guess what, it's all for you." He took the bag and placed it next to Koromaru, who peered eagerly inside it. Judging by the satisfied bark he let out, he seemed to like Shinjiro's bag of treats.

"I didn't know you liked animals, Senpai." Minako gave him a half-surprised, half-amused look.

"You never asked."

"Fair enough." She conceded. "So, my offer still stands."

"Very well. I will take you up on that."

"Alright." She stood up and twirled around to face him, smiling serenely. "I'm warning you though, the only thing I can afford right now is takoyaki from Octopia."

Shinjiro wrinkled his nose at that. He heard rumors about that takoyaki, none of them very reassuring. Nonetheless, he was happy spending time with Minako. "Then I'd better take us to Wakatsu later on, to offset that junk."

"You don't have to, Senpai. That would offset my treat too."

"Did I say anything about your treat? You'll still be treating me to that takoyaki. It just so happened that I decided to treat you on the same day."

Minako looked like she was about to argue against his, admittedly, faulty logic, but instead, she said, "Fine then. But I'll make it up to you sometime, I promise!"

It was Shinjiro's turn to say, "You don't have to."

"I insist."

"I also insist."

For a while, they just stared at each other defiantly, until Minako broke the silence. "Well then, is there anything I can do for you? Within the scope of the law, of course."

Shinjiro was surprised at her proposition, but it gave him an idea. "Call me 'Shinjiro'."

"Eh?" Minako's eyes widened at his request. Clearly, she was not expecting something along those lines. "This is quite… sudden."

"You asked. But if it makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to do it."

"Ah, no. I was simply surprised." She smiled bemusedly. "Sure, I'll do it, only under one condition."

"What?" He wondered what she'd want of him now.

"You have to call me 'Minako'."

Shinjiro jawdropped. "Excuse me?" It was reminiscent of an argument they had so long ago, and he wasn't expecting to relieve it just then.

"We are friends, aren't we?" Her smile widened. "I may have lost part of my memories, but I sure haven't forgotten how good friends refer to each other." She paused for a moment. "Shinjiro."

At this point, Shinjiro really wished he took his beanie along with him. Those words touched him in a way he never expected. A friend, yes, he was on that level with her right now, but she considered him a _good_ friend. That extra word meant a lot to him.

Meeting her eyes again, he decided to let go of his inhibition regarding showing his feelings and grinned sheepishly at her as a light blush crept to his cheeks. "It's a deal, Minako."

~o~

October 4, 2010

October 4, 2009. It was a special day for two particular people. One saw it as a day of redemption and another as an opportunity for resolution.

As fate would have it, both were gathered at the same place at the same time, a year later.

"Amada, it's almost midnight. What the hell are you doing out this late? Don't you have classes tomorrow?"

"I could ask you the same, Aragaki-san."

Shinjiro found himself engaged in a staring contest with Amada at the outskirts of Port Island Station. It was reminiscent of their confrontation a year ago, except that the circumstances were now different. Gone was the cover the Dark Hour provided, as well as the heavy atmosphere present last year. The dimly-lit alley smelled faintly of trash, although the smell of beer was gone now.

Shinjiro was the one who broke eye contact. Once he got over his initial surprise at seeing Amada, he decided to let it go. After all, he had nothing to gain from glaring at the kid all night. Besides, he had as much right as him to be at that particular place, especially at that particular day.

For a while, they just stared blankly at the wall, not minding each other's presence. Shinjiro wondered why he even bothered visiting this place again. After all, he vowed to stop dwelling on the past. It might've been force of habit that brought him here, as with Amada. Although if that were the case for the kid, it was fairly miraculous that they never ran in to each other until last year.

"Ne, Aragaki-san…"

Shinjiro tilted his head towards Amada and nodded as a signal for him to continue speaking.

"I'm sorry."

Shinjiro's gaze hardened at Amada. Of all people, _he_ should be the one who should be sorry, and not the kid.

Before he could reply, Amada continued, facing his glare with surprising conviction. "I acted stupid last year."

"I was ready to face the consequences of my actions, Amada."

"If it weren't for me, you would've had more time with Minako-san!"

"I told you, I—"

"I fell in love with her!" Amada glared at him defiantly. "For that then, I'm sorry."

Shinjiro suspected as much, but hearing those words coming from Ken's mouth still managed to render him speechless. He was sincerely hoping that he was reading too much into things, but it looked like it wasn't the case.

"I caused her unnecessary pain with that. I knew that she'll never be able to return that love, and yet, she was kind to me, even after all I've done." Amada smiled ruefully. "I never told her, but I think she knew."

"Amada, it's not your fault. You weren't the one who pointed a gun at me and pulled the trigger. It was freaking Takaya."

"I—"

"Shove that 'I'm sorry' crap up someone else's ass. I was fucking prepared to die that day."

"Ara—"

"You know what, screw the past. What matters now is that you're living for the present and the future. Isn't that what your kendo is about? It was a promise to her, wasn't it?"

Amada's eyes widened at that statement. "I… how did you know, Aragaki-san?"

Shinjiro shrugged. "Lucky guess."

The younger kid tried to hide the smile forming on his lips. "It's true, though. I wanted to become stronger for her and the people I love." He began to study his sneakers. "Also, I wanted to be brave, like the way you were last year."

"That was not brave. Believe me, Amada, that was not brave."

"You may not think that way, but I did." It was Amada's turn to shrug. "Each to their own."

It was times like this when Shinjiro wondered if Amada was simply lying about his age. He didn't have many pleasant experiences with kids, especially with the orphanage he came from, so Amada's maturity was a refreshing break from how he viewed children.

Moments later, Shinjiro said, "I'll be going, then." He no longer had any business here, and in a way, talking to Amada in that manner lifted this big weight off his chest. It was like last year, minus the blood and the tears. "And, Amada."

"Yes, Aragaki-san?"

"I'm proud of you. Keep up the good work, kid."

Shinjiro's back was already turned to Amada, and he failed to see how Amada's cheeks flushed red upon hearing those words, a silly smile on his face as he basked in the praise given to him by a person who used to be his mortal enemy, and now, his idol.

~o~

October 18, 2010

The week leading to the second semester midterms was an absolute nightmare. The teachers, realizing that the exams were drawing near, took it upon themselves to rush through the lessons in an attempt to cover the topics that would appear in the midterms. The worst offender, in Shinjiro's opinion, was none other than Theodore, or "That Guy" as he took to calling him. It wasn't mostly his fault by any means. It was largely due to the fact that Mr. Ono simply didn't have the passion for teaching world history. As a result, he would often grumble about the topic and threw in side comments regarding the Sengoku Era, which tended to be longer than the actual lesson itself.

The exams came and went, much to Shinjiro's relief. It was uneventful, save for the time that someone at the back nearly throwing up some time in the middle of the exams. Besides that, the week proceeded in a normal fashion, with them seated on their armchairs, hunched over their exams from morning until afternoon.

When Kirijo called to say that she detected a Shadow a few days ago, he didn't know whether to slam his head on his desk in frustration or to laugh at her when she mentioned that. Her reasoning of not informing them was along the lines of exams being more important than fighting eldritch abominations.

Exam results, on the other hand, were an unremarkable affair in Shinjiro's case. As usual, he scored slightly above average. Kirijo would probably chew him out for 'not making an effort' as she termed it, but he didn't care. He just wanted to graduate, and didn't want to exhaust himself trying to compete with the grade-conscious individuals What was surprising was Iori's entry into the top ten highest scorers, with marks above Takeba, but below Yamagishi, who was the second-to-the-highest in terms of results. He wasn't the only one who was shocked, judging by the incredulous looks people were throwing in Iori's direction.

Another thing he noted was Minako's performance, which was above average, but not enough to net her a place among the top students in their batch. Based on what he heard from the other members of SEES, Minako consistently had a place in the top ten, given how seriously she took her studies along with her extracurricular work. He wasn't sure if her stint in the hospital affected her performance that badly or if it was something else all together.

On the bright side, Aigis returned on the same day the results came out. Her welcome was as joyous, if not more happy, as Minako's return, considering all the people that attempted to give her a hug during her return. Like Minako, she seemed embarrassed about all the attention, but was grateful for it.

Since it was a special occasion, Shinjiro finally joined Iori, Takeba, Yamagishi, and Aigis during lunchtime. They invited Minako to tag along, but she turned it down since she already had a commitment with her fellow teammates in the Volleyball Club. It was all well, considering how that particular lunch break opened up.

"I apologize for my performance during the last operation. I have failed in my duty as your field leader."

"Nonsense, Ai-chan. We wouldn't have been able to defeat Ratri if you didn't weaken her second form first."

"But I—"

"No buts, Aigis. You did a fine job."

"I agree. Don't worry about it so much."

At that point, everyone in the group except Aigis looked at him expectantly, expecting him to reassure their comrade as well. "Listen to them, Aigis."

"I…" Aigis smiled slightly upon seeing the don't-apologize-damn-it look Iori was giving her. "Thank you, everyone."

Such was how their conversation went during lunch time. Afterwards, he didn't see much of Aigis, since she had to make up for the exams she missed. Despite being a robot, she had the mind of a human, so studying was still a must for her.

However, the end of the midterms meant that the cultural festival was drawing near. Shinjiro was normally indifferent to it, but this year, he had a reason to hate it. He still wasn't able to talk Yamagishi out of his participation in the competition, and it looked like she wasn't going to budge from her decision anytime soon.

~o~

October 23, 2010

During one particular Cooking Club meeting, Shinjiro's clubmates managed to lure him into Yamagishi's house under the guise of planning for the cultural festival. Much to Shinjiro's dismay, it was actually a preparation session for the crossdressing competition. It was still technically a part of the plans for the festival, but it looked like his friends purposely kept mum on this particular detail. True to his imagination, the girls seemed to be enjoying it a bit too much.

"Senpai doesn't have a very girly face."

"His shoulders are on the broad side."

"Oh my, his legs—"

"What did you expect? I'm a guy!" He knew that everything they said was true, having come to that conclusion a long time ago, but why did he feel so offended?

Since the cultural festival organizers knew that no one in their right minds would join the crossdressing competition and possibly the beauty pageant, they required each club to send in a contestant for one of the two contests. During the previous meeting, he tried to talk his way out of participating with this in mind, reasoning that a beauty pageant contestant was more logical considering that he was the only guy in the club. However, Yamagishi was surprisingly resilient when facing his arguments and would not budge from her stand that he was to be the club's representative for the competition.

Yamagishi's house was a modest bungalow situated near the outskirts of Iwatodai. The 12 members of the cooking club were currently assembled in the open area which served as the house's living room and dining room. The green, matted flooring was covered by cloths of different colors, sizes, and textures.

Honestly, he was tempted to run away for the duration of the festival, but considering that he was planning to hide from their mission control, it was pointless for him to do so. He suspected that Yamagishi might've had some sort of backing regarding his participation in the competition, in the form of a person named Kirijo Mitsuru.

It was then when he finally relented to participate in the competition. Partially because he was starting to see the futility of his efforts in negotiating with Yamagishi, and partially because he saw some warning signs that signalled the end of her patience. She still wore her smile and timid demeanor, but her smile was starting to come out forced and there was an edge to her voice that wasn't there before.

"Senpai, can you relax a bit?" One of his clubmates, some girl named Rei, if he recalled correctly, was placing a measuring tape across his shoulders. "I can't get accurate measurements if you're all tensed up like this."

Shinjiro, after much swearing under his breath, complied with his clubmate's request. To help himself relax, he started recalling recipe instructions for stir-fry prawns, courtesy of his _Family Cooking _magazine.

_Heat oil in a pan until hot. _Pissing off Yamagishi did not seem like a good idea, despite her sweet-tempered nature. Considering how attuned she was to their minds, it was easy for her to read their thoughts. Even without summoning Juno, Shinjiro was sure that she could at the very least sense their thoughts. With that said, who knows how much dirt she had on him? She wasn't very vocal outside her mission control duties, but he had no idea what she did in front of that laptop of hers. That in itself made her dangerous.

_Sauté garlic and ginger for a few seconds. _Another girl, who went by the name Rika, was fitting him with a wig. "Senpai, it's a good thing that your hair's shorter now, it's easier to fit you with a wig."

For a brief moment, he considered murdering Aki for choosing to have his hair trimmed on the same day he returned from school early. However, he immediately saw the light and reconsidered that action. What were regrets anyway, he wondered. Whether he cut his hair or not, he was to be subjected to this treatment anyway.

_Add prawns and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until prawns are cooked. _This experience was going down on Shinjiro's book as one of the most terrifying experiences he's ever had in his life. On his scale of scary experiences, it was below losing Minako, killing Amada's mother, and falling in love, but higher than facing Takaya's revolver. That time, it wasn't the prospect of death that scared him; rather, he feared that he wouldn't be in time to save Amada from falling at the hands of the Nietzsche-wannabe.

_Add Worcestershire sauce and hoisin sauce then stir. _They wanted to strip him down to his boxers, but he drew the line at that. He was in no way going to show his goods to his club mates. Not ever.

"This is very tricky," said someone named Mieko. "There's so much we have to cover in order to make this work."

Shinjiro had a feeling that she was referring to the dress they were designing for him, and not the time limit they had to work with.

Yamagishi smiled at her reassuringly. "It'll all work out in the end."

_Add water—_ It wasn't working. He gave up on remembering the rest of the instructions and silently cursed Yamagishi for acting cool the whole while. He never knew that she had it in her to be such a magnificent bastard.

Whatever doesn't kill you can only make you stronger. It was Aki's mantra, which he applied to a fault bordering on recklessness. Admittedly, Shinjiro found an ounce of truth in the statement, but it was times like this when he found it to be a load of bull crap.

~o~

Around the same time Shinjiro was undergoing one of the most traumatic experiences of his life, Junpei was walking across Port Island Station, yet again. This time, he was planning to see a movie that afternoon.

However, a change of plans was in order when he saw Chidori sketching on her usual bench by the station. She was wearing the same outfit as the last time he saw her, and she had a brown messenger bag by her feet.

"Hello, Yoshino-san."

Chidori looked up from her sketchpad. "Hello, Iori-san." She did not seemed surprised to see him at all. It was as if she was expecting him, or so Junpei liked to believe.

For a while, the two just stared at each other. A few minutes later, Junpei felt the need to break the silence. "So, what's up?"

"I just remembered where I saw you from long time ago." Chidori replied calmly, still gazing at him unfazedly.

Junpei's heart skipped a beat at those words. Chidori seemed unfazed by the words that came out of her mouth, but could she have regained her memories.

"You're the guy from the hospital." Hmm, so he was the guy from the hospital. Junpei tried to hide his disappointment. He should have known better. After all, her miracle-induced amnesia wasn't the type to go away soon.

"You seem down, Iori-san. Is something the matter?"

"I do?" Junpei was surprised she noticed. "Ah, it's nothing."

Chidori raised an eyebrow at him, definitely seeing through his lie. "Were you expecting something more? Was I supposed to be something like your estranged lover?"

She was clearly being sarcastic, but the truth of her words stung. "No, nothing like that. You were a good friend of mine." He thought that it was best to come clean in this situation, sort of. He knew Chidori saw him flinch at her words and there was no taking back that action.

"A 'good friend', huh?" She pondered on his words, closing her sketchbook as she did so. "I recall the doctor mentioning that back then. He said the same about Kirijo-san. You were with her at the hospital shortly after I woke up. Are you acquainted with her, if I may ask?"

"If by 'Kirijo-san', you mean a scary-looking readhead whose glares can freeze you on the spot, then yes, I know Mitsuru-senpai."

Much to his pleasure, Chidori laughed at his joke. "So that's here first name. Iori-san, may I ask you a favor?"

"Sure, Yoshino-san." In all honesty, he'd do anything for her, even if it involved a heavy rock tied to his waist and a fifty-foot cliff.

She took the bag by her feet and balanced it on top of her sketchbook as she searched it. Pulling out a brown envelope, she handed it to Junpei. "It's my way of saying thanks to her, since she was kind enough to sponsor my art school education." She set her bag aside once more.

Curious, Junpei accepted the item. "May I see what's inside?"

For some reason, Chidori blushed slightly at his question and began to study the back of her sketchbook. "Go ahead."

Junpei opened the flap of the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper. His eyes widened upon seeing the picture, which was a portrait of Mitsuru. It was not the beauty of the image that struck him. Rather, it was the presence of color. Chidori was a good artist when she put her mind to it, as evidenced by the sketchbook in his room that was filled with realistic portraits of him, but never did she color them. The effect it had on her art was astounding. It was as if the picture was alive, and he was staring at the real Mitsuru instead of just a piece of paper with her likeness on it.

Before Junpei could open his mouth to comment on the drawing, Chidori pre-empted him, flustered by his reaction. "I know it's not that good, a professional could—"

He returned the picture to the envelope. "It's amazing, Chidori. I'll say this as many times as you want, because it is. Come on, give yourself a pat on the back. I'll be damned if she doesn't like it."

"Really? I… Thank you." She seemed more surprised that he complimented her, rather than the fact that he addressed her by first name. "My teacher keeps on telling me that I have to improve on my composition, especially my color."

Junpei shrugged. "It's still awesome." He did not understand the art talk that came out of Chidori's mouth, but Chidori's art will forever be great to him. Shortly after that, he remembered his slip of the tongue. "By the way, I apologize for calling you by your first name. It was rude of me."

"It's perfectly fine, Junpei."

It was the third time that Junpei was surprised during that encounter. Of all the curve balls Chidori threw him that day, this one had to take the cake.

"What, is there anything wrong?" She looked back at him strangely. "After all, are we not 'good friends' are you termed it?"

"I—yes, yes indeed."

"Did my words bother you? If they did, I apologize."

"Nope." Things were moving faster than he expected. Gloriously faster. "You don't have to apologize, Chidori." Finally, he could say her name again.

"I'm glad." She blushed a little as she said this. "It's the first time I've called someone by their first name, and something tells me that I can trust you." She glanced at the clock by the theatre, and after seeing the time, she stashed her sketchbook away in her bag. "As much as I'd like to continue talking with you, I have an appointment in half an hour." She stood up and slung the bag on her shoulder. "So until the next—"

"Go to our cultural festival on the 30th."

"Interesting. Where is it?"

"Gekkoukan High."

"Very well, under one condition."

"State your terms." He was practically giddy with excitement, but he tried his best to contain himself.

"Could you tell me more about myself on that day? Like what kind of person I was back then. I don't think I've mentioned this before, but my memory draws a blank on some things regarding my past. I'd like to know more."

"I'd be glad to, Chidori." He'll have to tread on the topic carefully, but he was confident that he could handle it.

"I'll be looking forward to it, Junpei." She flashed him one of her rare smiles. "Before I forget, here's my number." She fished for her phone in her bag as Junpei took his phone out of his pocket.

"Mine as well." After exchanging numbers, Junpei waved goodbye as Chidori disappeared into the train station. The whole time, a goofy grin was plastered on his face. He scored twice on that day: first name basis and a date secured on the 30th.

~o~

October 27, 2010

As October 30 drew closer one day at a time, preparations for the festival rose to a feverish pitch. Many students stayed after class, working on their booths. The cooking club was no exception to this rule. Fortunately, Yamagishi was a very organized person by nature and prepared early for the festival, so they moved efficiently as a result. Her directions to each of them were meticulous, that there was no need for questions or clarifications. For instance, Shinjiro was tasked to buy the meat a day before the festival. On his shopping list was the type of meat needed, plus how much of each cut was needed. Also she remained unfazed due to her focus at the task at hand, even when she learned that the Archery Club and the Volleyball Club were putting up a maid café to compete with their butler café. For that, Shinjiro grudgingly admired her spirit, considering that she also had her Tech Club to worry about.

In a way, Shinjiro was thankful that the SEES was exempt from participating in the festival. It was one of the times he was grateful for Kirijo magic, as he termed it. As the club president, he had no idea what six of them could come up with given the time limit and their small numbers. He still hated the idea of being the club president, but he was resigned to it, in a similar manner that he accepted his fate as the Cooking Club's contestant for the crossdressing competition.

Posters for different booths started to crop up faster than you could say "whoa". Shinjiro had to resist the urge to snicker every time he passed by a butler café poster, which had Aki in an outfit that strangely resembled the butler getups Minako made them wear in Tartarus. All the props were complete, including the glasses. He almost lost it when he saw some girls swooning over the poster. In fact, his chest hurt so much that he had to hide inside the men's room to let out a choked gasp, a product of stifling his laughter.

In the end, it was still Aki who had the last laugh. Shinjiro did not dare to tell anyone that he was participating in the crossdressing competition. Aside from the organizers, it was only his fellow club members that knew, and he swore them all the secrecy under the threat of spiking their cooking club concoctions with a substance that will turn their urine blue.

His secret was exposed shortly after he returned from Yamagishi's house. Aki was relaxing at the lounge after a long day at school, and was stitching up some boxing gloves.

"Hey Shinji, welcome—" He froze as his friend drew near. "Is _that_ a hairpin?"

Goddamn it. Shinjiro thought he got rid of all the evidence. He opted to give his friend the silent treatment and was about to climb up the stairs when Aki grabbed his arm to stop him.

Using his free hand, Aki reached for the offending item and pulled it out of Shinjiro's hair. "You're hiding something." He handed the hairpin to Shinjiro.

"None of your beeswax, Aki." He snatched the item from Aki and tossed it in a nearby wastebasket, where it landed noisily.

"I can guess." A knowing smile formed on Aki's lips as he released his friend's arm. "Anyway, good luck with the competition."

An annoyed Shinjiro was halfway up the stairs when Aki added, "By the way, Kanzato and I will be dropping by on Saturday. It's fortunate that our classes were cancelled for that day, huh?"

He rolled his eyes at his friend before climbing the rest of the stairs. Great, just what he needed in order to repair his reputation in front of Kanzato. As if he did not think of him as a space case, now he was going to see him in his most offending attire ever.

* * *

><p>And so, we zoom past a month. The next chapter would be of course, the much-awaited cultural festival. Once more, it will come out give or take one or two months.<p>

Thank you for the detailed feedback, **Wraithe Winsre**, it's much appreciated. Ashelle, I apologize for not making this a Christmas release, but the chapter was still out before the year ended, ayt?

As usual, many thanks to **Elleon Stormwrath** for the beta-read.

Until then, an advanced Happy New Year to you all. :D

_Paranoid A/N Edit as of 01/09/11_: I am perfectly aware that I have made some references to other works which may be obvious to some, obscure to others. While no one has sued or told me off yet for referencing their work in this story, I'll just put this A/N over here, saying that I don't claim ownership over their work, and that in a future A/N or maybe at the end of this story, I will make a comprehensive list of the random bits I've placed throughout the story. It's something I don't point out, because I think of those references as bonuses to the readers who are aware of that particular story (or those people who bothered to look them up).


	9. Festival

_Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Persona 3 or any of its reincarnations. All creative rights to the characters named in this story belong to Atlus and I certainly do not profit from this story._

* * *

><p><span>October 30, 2010<span>

It was a day of reckoning, the moment of truth.

The Gekkoukan High Culture Festival.

For the morning, Shinjiro was the main person running the kitchen. It suited him fine, since he preferred to be out of sight and out of mind. What scared him was the event slated for that afternoon.

Like a man about to face the gallows, he mournfully went through the morning, conscious of the fate that awaited him that afternoon. He knew he wasn't pleasant to be around, as he was rather sharp with his orders around the kitchen, and he did send one of his clubmates scampering out of the kitchen after throwing a look in her direction.

He had more than a month to get used to it, but he never did. Up to now, he still shuddered at the thought of being in the competition. It bothered him so greatly that he wasn't able to get much sleep the night before due to some nightmares. Considering that some of the involved a berserk Koromaru and some ripped seams, it definitely was not pretty.

~o~

He lay in wait, surrounded by piles of skeletons. Through the narrow slit provided by the opening in the rocks, he bade his time, waiting for the right opportunity to strike.

He spotted his prey pass by, and without further ado, jumped out of the shadows, poised to strike the unsuspecting passerby.

The concerned individual, a woman with bright red hair pulled back into a neat ponytail, blinked at him, though overall, she did not seem perturbed by his appearance. "Junpei?" She asked in a bored voice.

He lowered his arms upon recognizing the speaker and took off the mask he wore. "Oh. It's you, Chidori." Though she wore her hair differently now, there was no mistaking those baleful eyes boring into him unabashedly. " I wasn't expecting to see you around here." Junpei laughed nervously. "I thought we were going to meet by the school gates?"

"We were supposed to, but you never came at the appointed time." She continued staring at him, crimson hues unwavering. "I sent you a message as soon as I arrived, but you never responded. I got tired of waiting after an hour or so. It was a good thing that I recalled you telling me that your club was in charge of a horror booth, so I decided to pay you a visit."

Junpei gulped in response. While her tone remained even, he detected a slight hint of disapproval somewhere. This was not the way he imagined their 'date' to go. He was supposed to be bursting out of the senior high building, shielding his eyes against the bright sunlight. He was supposed to spot her idling by the benches near the school gates. When their eyes met, her eyes should've lit up in response, glad that her knight in shining armor has arrived.

In no way did he factor in a dark room, a werewolf costume, and a pissed-off Chidori in the equation.

"…You didn't get my text?" He asked in disbelief. He fired off one as soon as his clubmate told him that he was going to be late, so he needed someone to cover for him until he arrived, with that someone being Junpei. "I said that I was going to be delayed due to some unexpected things turning up." It sounded lame now that he said it, even if it was the truth. After all, what kind of man left a lady waiting?

"I received nothing." She replied flatly.

Junpei looked around worriedly. Wasn't there a queue outside? His conversation with Chidori must be holding it up. Their captain might kill him for talking to Chidori this long. Strangely enough, there should be someone stepping in, telling him to hurry it up.

Chidori spoke, as if reading his mind. "The rest of your team posted a lunch break sign before I entered. I think they were going to inform you of this after I was done going through the—" She raised an eyebrow at their surroundings. "—horror house."

As predicted, one of his teammates slipped in the classroom-turned-horror-mansion. The boy noticed Chidori idling nearby. "Miss, I'm sorry to interrupt your horror house experience, but our volunteers will have to take a break for now." He bowed apologetically at Chidori. "You may come back later if you wish, free of charge."

"There will be no need." She tilted her head meaningfully at Junpei.

In tow was his teammate who asked for the favor. "Hey, Iori, thanks for covering for me." He slapped Junpei on the back. "I owe you one!"

"Yeah, you'd better." Junpei replied darkly, throwing a dirty look at his clubmate, who grinned sheepishly in return.

"Junpei, if I may ask, what were you supposed to be back there?" Chidori threw a curious glance at the furry costume he wore, and the mask he held in his hand. "A swamp monster?"

"No, your worst nightmare." He muttered under his breath. Was his costume really that terrible?

~o~

Due to the mechanics introduced by the organizers, there was a great imbalance in the number of contestants for the crossdressing competition and the beauty pageant. Shinjiro was right in assuming that no one in their right minds would join the former. There was a grand total of five contestants for the crossdressing competition. Besides him, there was a certain blue-haired kid from the kendo club, some guy named Miyamoto from track, Tomochika, a friend of Iori's, and surprisingly, Hidetoshi Odagiri, their class president, was participating as well.

The unexpected contestant amused Shinjiro somewhat, karma, one might call it, considering the overall organizers of the festival, though it did not do much to ease his tension regarding the upcoming event.

These thoughts swam in his mind as he sat stiffly in front of a dresser located at one of the rooms in the school auditorium's backstage. It wasn't the atmosphere that was making him uncomfortable. The room itself was cool and well-ventilated, plus he'd grudgingly admit that the chair he sat on was quite comfortable.

No, the fact was, in an hour's time, he'd have to come out there, parading in clothing that should be burned at the stake, in his opinion.

Come to think of it, the dismal number of contestants was probably the reason why Yamagishi was adamant about entering him in the crossdressing competition. The prizes for both contests were fairly generous. The grand prize, according to Yamagishi, was an onsen trip for the whole club. Admittedly, none of his fellow club members stood a chance against the likes of Takeba Yukari and Arisato Minako. While there were some good-looking girls in his club such as Rei and Mieko, it would be an uphill task going against their better endowed peers, especially in the swimsuit competition. Yamagishi herself may have stood a chance, but when Shinjiro raised the suggestion of her entering the beauty pageant, she shot him a look that made him wonder if he asked her to stick a knife down her throat instead. Since then, he decided it would be best not to bring up the topic again.

The best solution his club mates found was to literally cover him up. That proposition suited him just fine, though the idea of wearing a girl's outfit still got to him. Nonetheless, it was too late for a change of plans, and he mentally repeated in his mind that it was going to be over soon.

He resisted the urge to throw off Rei as she began to apply foundation on him. Who would have thought? Aragaki Shinjiro, resident jerkass, wearing makeup? To the typical bystander, it would be a hoot.

What Yamagishi wanted with an onsen trip, he did not know. It was also possible that the competition awakened a competitive side of his former dormmate, judging by the intense amount of effort she poured into preparing for the contest. Whatever the reason was, he sure hoped that it was worth every single second of humiliation he was about to endure that afternoon.

After what seemed like an eternity, she finally stepped back from him. "You look pretty, Senpai." There was a satisfied smile on her face, as if the sight before her was not as scary as it Shinjiro thought it to be.

When he turned to face the mirror, he gritted his teeth and balled his fists, resisting the urge to flip the table right in front of him.

~o~

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the first ever 'Miss' Gekkoukan High pageant!"

From behind the backstage curtain, he could hear several hoots and whoops from the audience. He was about to bury his face in his hands when he stopped himself mid-action, remembering Rei's warning regarding his makeup and headdress.

As much as he wanted to do it, he didn't want to mess up Rei's carefully done work. He could have done it to troll with his clubmates, but Yamagishi would probably find a way to make him pay. With that in mind, he settled for slouching on his plastic chair and heaving a frustrated sigh.

His fellow contestants were all over the place. Miyamoto, dressed in a maid outfit, was standing rather stiffly. His outfit, complete with a gray, shoulder-length wig that had two braids framing his face, was reminiscent of a certain character in one of Iori's video games. A shooting game, if Shinjiro remembered correctly. Odagiri was busy pacing the room in the girl's winter uniform, practicing his lines in a low voice. Tomochika, on the other hand, was twiddling his thumbs in anticipation of his turn, shifting on his feet uncomfortably every now and then. Shinjiro didn't blame him for doing so, as that fairy costume with wings didn't look very comfortable. He felt a bit sorry for his fellow brunet, as it made his costume look as comfortable as a loose shirt and trousers. He would've murdered someone if they decided to stick him in a tube top and poufy skirt.

The only calm soul in the room was the blue-haired kid from the kendo club. In a similar manner as Shinjiro, he was seated on one of the chairs in the room, taking in all the action with a steely-eyed gaze. He had his elbows rested on his lap, chin rested on his folded hands as his gray eyes surveyed the room. Shinjiro believed that he had a reason to be calm, because among the men present in the room, he had the best chance of winning the competition.

Heck, if it weren't for the fact that he knew that they were all guys, Shinjiro would've easily mistaken the kid for a lady. Who wouldn't, with that pink, frilly dress reminiscent of Cinderella that he wore? He looked the part, and it didn't hurt that he had a blue-haired wig which reached all the way to his back, plus a jewel-studded tiara to boot.

Miyamoto was the first one out, then Tomochika, followed by Odagiri. For each person that went out, he felt his heart jump up to his throat. It got worse as time passed, for he felt as if it was ready to jump out of his mouth any time now. He resisted the urge to lurch as he waited for his name to be called.

While he was busy hiding his nervousness, the other kid simply leaned back on his chair, gazing straight ahead without a care in the world. For a while, Shinjiro can't help but wonder what was this kid's secret.

His train of thought was interrupted when he heard his name. "—Aragaki Shinjiro!"

Taking a deep breath, he stepped out from behind the curtain and appeared on the stage. _Shit, those lights were bright. _He blinked several times to adjust to the lighting. He prayed he wasn't staggering as he made his way next to Odagiri. Strangely enough, everyone was silent when he finally made his way to his spot. There was none of the expected snickering, only what seemed to be stunned silence.

Well, considering that he was dressed as a shrine maiden, who wouldn't be shocked? Mentally, he berated his clubmates for the idea of detached sleeves. The red hakama and the white top wasn't so bad, but that twist was a little too extravagant for his taste. That, and the intricate headdress and wig that came with it.

The silence was broken by what sounded like high-pitched squealing. "Senpai looks so cute!"

"That's him?"

"Aragaki Shinjiro…"

"Not bad."

"Ahem." The emcee, a bespectacled guy he did not know, coughed in order to catch the attention of the audience and silence them. "It looks like a very warm reception for you, Shinji-chan. So, care to share to the audience your hobbies?"

_Shinji-chan?_ What the fuck was with that nickname? He tried to ignore the ringing in his head, due to the fact that he was trying his best to resist from plowing his fist into the emcee's face.

"C-cooking." He forced a smile as he replied.

"Well, no surprises there, folks!" He beamed wildly at Shinjiro, oblivious to the amount of enmity radiating from him. "Without further ado, let us welcome our last, but not the least, contestant! Calm and serene as she may come, her way with the sword makes her a force to be reckoned with! As the day's Cinderella, will she run away before the night is over? Let's welcome… Hakabano Kitaro!"

The screams before that were nothing compared to the ones made upon the entrance of the blue-haired kid. Like an apparition, as it seemed to Shinjiro, he floated across the stage to his place next to him.

'Hnghh' and 'I'd hit that' were the least of the comments Shinjiro could hear from the audience. He could've sworn he heard people whispering about getting his number, among other things.

"So, Kitaro-chan, is there anything you'd like to say to the audience that wants you badly?"

As lewd as the comment sounded, Hakabano maintained his pokerface. "…Whatever."

Despite his anti-climatic response, the audience clapped anyway, a few people hooting here and there.

"Alright folks!" The emcee did a waving motion to shush the audience. "Please settle down as the judges calculate the scores for today's event. The winner will be announced shortly after a short intermission by our beloved school band."

While the blue-haired boy was someone Shinjiro could not envision himself getting along with, he had to give him props for maintaining a level head during the whole competition.

~o~

Shinjiro, at long last, heaved a sigh of relief as entered one of the backstage rooms behind the auditorium stage.

He kicked off his slippers as he took a seat in front of the mirror, sinking into the soft couch as he stretched out his tired legs.

The room was mercifully empty at that time. Everyone was probably watching the beauty pageant, and he shooed away everyone who wanted to help him take off his costume.

Of course, that Hakabano guy won by a landslide. He pulled off that whole school girl aura perfectly, unlike Odagiri, who lacked certain charms, to say the least. Surprisingly, Shinjiro managed to snag second place.

It was difficult, but he managed to take off the wig and the hairpins that came with it. He was sorely tempted to pull it out in one go, but Mitsuko would have an embolism if she saw the condition of his hair afterwards, so he resisted the urge to do so.

He briefly wondered how Minako was doing. He couldn't see her in the audience as the stage lights were blinding him. Right now, she was probably gearing up for the beauty pageant. For a moment, he paused, imagining her in something not unlike one of the outfits she sported in Tartarus. That white bikini armor nearly gave him a nosebleed that Dark Hour, and he could've sworn he wasn't alone, as Aki and Iori were rather conscious of their noses that night as well.

Shinjiro shook his head violently, trying to erase the image from his mind. The real deal was way better, and he'd better hurry if he didn't want to miss the pageant. He was about to get his clothing when he felt an unusual chill in the air. At first, he thought that the aircon in the room simply adjusted its temperature was it was wont to do. However, the air reached a chill that was simply impossible with an airconditioning unit. Shinjiro shivered as he felt goosebumps run up his arms and legs.

When he stood up and whirled around, he nearly jumped when he noticed the ice creeping towards him. It crept on the floor, as if it had a life of its own.

One thing was for sure, he had to get out of there. Pronto. He took a step forward, only to lose his footing as he slipped on the ice. As if noticing his moment of weakness, the ice went after him and began to creep up his leg, slowly encasing it in ice.

At first, he tried to pull it out, to no avail. It continued to move up his leg. Cursing his stupid idea, he searched the room for something he could use to break the ice. Unfortunately, there was none, as the room was bare save for the dresser and some empty closets.

His eyes darted back to the ice which was already through the lower half of his body. At this rate, he was going to become a human popsicle. It was one of those rare times wherein he wished the Iori was around to cast some fire spells—

-Wait a minute. Cassiel knew Maragidyne, didn't she?

As the ice closed in on him, he began to concentrate on his right hand and called out his Persona's name. Thankfully, it worked, and the angel materialized as he crushed the tarot card in his hand. As if sensing his thoughts, a warm aura radiated from her when she appeared. It was sufficient enough to melt the ice.

Shinjiro stumbled forward as he regained the ability to move. With his Persona in tow, he tore a path towards the door, thinking it was the best course of action. After all, he had no plans of turning into a human popsicle.

He was able to dive out of the door as the ice completely froze the room he was in. After making it out, he dematerialized Cassiel and hastily scanned the corridor for witnesses. It was fortunate that there were none, else it would take a lot of explanation as to why he was dripping wet all of a sudden, and walking barefoot at that.

Before he could breathe a sigh of relief, a chunk of ice sailed past his shoulder, which he barely avoided. The jagged edge of the ice left a scratch on his cheek, though. Another one was thrown in his direction, not giving him any time to recover. When he finally dared to look forward, there were already two ice shards lodged on the wall across him.

Worse, he heard some voices coming from behind him. Inwardly cursing the unfortunate circumstances that began to pile on top of one another, he ran opposite the direction of the voices, dodging another ice attack aimed at him.

Based on what he remembered, the exit was just around the bend. It might be fruitful for him to go out into an open space, where he'd have more room to maneuver. Possibly, he could catch a glimpse of his attacker as well.

He spotted a mop by the exit, and decided to take it with him. It was not as good as his axe, but it will have to do. He burst out of the backstage exit as another Bufudyne flew past his head.

"Shinji?" It was Aki, giving him a confused look as he appraised his attire and the 'weapon' he held in his hand.

_Goddamnit._ "Aki. Get the f—"

His warning was interrupted by a Mabufudyne. He managed to avoid the ice shot at him, but Aki was not so lucky. The attack caught his friend off-guard and hit him square on the chest, sending him sprawling on the ground.

A worried look crossed his face as he made his way to where his friend lay. "Aki?" He knelt next to his friend, looking around warily as he did so. When Aki did not respond, his frown deepened. "Hey, I know you're made of sterner stuff than that." His tone was joking, but his brow furrowed in worry.

He was about to pull his friend up when a groan escaped from Aki's mouth. The boxer slowly pulled himself to a sitting position, grunting in pain. "Damn, why did it have to be i—"

Once again, there was an interruption in the form of another Mabufudyne shot in their direction. This time, Shinjiro was quicker on the uptake and summoned Cassiel, who neutralized the spell with Maragidyne.

With that action, the attacker finally revealed itself. Shinjiro glared at it, surprised it managed to conceal its presence, given its size. When it materialized in front of him, it took the form of a ten-foot giant, triceps bulging.

"Aki, can you stand?"

"…Yeah." Aki unsteadily got on his feet, clutching is chest as he did so. "I think I broke them again…"

"Get away from here." Shinjiro added curtly. "Call Kirijo, That Guy, whoever can help. I'll hold off this creature until then."

"Shinji—" Aki was about to protest, but upon seeing another spell narrowly miss Shinjiro, he gritted his teeth and sighed in resignation. Shinjiro did not need to tell him that there wasn't much he could do with several broken ribs and no Evoker. "—Alright. Hang in there." He flipped open his cellphone, only to frown when he found out that there was no signal. Taking one last look at Shinjiro, he staggered towards the end other side of the auditorium, seeing that it was the only way out of there.

Shinjiro merely grunted in response as he continued to fend off the Shadow, blocking its way so it wouldn't go after Aki. This Shadow seemed to be able to sense weakness, and ever since Aki got severely injured by the Mabufudyne spell, it seemed bent on finishing him off.

Needless to say, it was difficult, holding this Shadow off. He wasn't like Aigis who never experienced fatigue. To top it all off, it was challenging to move around in this hakama, and he wasn't sure how long this mop would hold as a weapon. Nonetheless, it was the only way to get Aki out of the danger zone, and he assured himself that help would be on its way soon.

"Sanada?" At first, he thought that helped arrived sooner than he thought, but upon registering the unfamiliarity of the voice, a chill went down his spine.

One of his worst fears has come. An outsider has arrived.

The Shadow took advantage of his surprise and used it to break out of his grip. It flew past Shinjiro and charged towards Aki, taking the form of a lion as it did so.

Much to Shinjiro's alarm, he saw a shocked Kanzato by the side of the auditorium. Cursing inwardly once more, he summoned Cassiel and prayed to all the gods he knew that she would make it before anything bad happened to Aki. He wouldn't be able to take it if something awful happened to his best friend just because of his carelessness.

Just then, a scream tore through the night. "Nngh, AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGH!"

Shinjiro froze on his tracks, eyes widening at the events unfolding in front of him. Kanzato dropped to his knees, clutching his head with both hands as a strange creature materialized above him. Shinjiro was too far to discern its form, but it tackled the Shadow away, leaving Aki unharmed.

Aki was the first to reach Kanzato. His mouth was in a straight line, though he didn't look as shocked as Shinjiro expected him to be. Shinjiro supposed that both of them shouldn't be that shocked at that turn of events, since they already suspected Kanzato of having a Persona. However, seeing him summon one was a totally different experience from theorizing about it.

As Aki was tending to his friend, who was in the brink of unconsciousness, Shinjiro can't help but notice that Kanzato's Persona was still active, engaging the Shadow in a wrestling match.

The said Persona, frankly, looked like a robot, the humanoid type that a person piloted in a sci-fi plot. The frame was primarily yellow-green, with some blue padding. The power it displayed was quite impressive. It managed to go toe to toe with the Shadow, engaging it in a wrestling match Shinjiro only thought possible in his dreams. This time, the Shadow took the form a similar-looking robot, only black in color. It reminded him of one of those old anime they used to watch in the orphanage. _What was the name—_

_-Never mind the name._ He shook his head. Now was not the time for reminiscing. Focusing his attention at the matter at hand, he directed Cassiel to attack the enemy while it was distracted. She threw what looked like a wind blade at the Shadow, which managed to slice through its back.

Kanzato's Persona, or whatever it was, launched an attack of its own. The Persona fired some laser projectiles out of its arm, boring a few holes into the Shadow.

This time, he wasn't alone in assaulting the enemy. A Maziodyne and Bufudyne came from behind Kanzato and Aki, marking the entrance of Theodore and Mitsuru. Shinjiro was fairly sure that Aki was unable to call for backup, so one of them must've been able to sense the Shadow.

Mitsuru stared at the Shadow with pursed lips. She probably was not expecting the Shadow to show up at school, with the festival going on and what not. Knowing her, Shinjiro was sure that the redhead simply wanted to unwind during the event, and would resume worrying about tracking the Shadow the next day. Judging from the expression on her face, this was not part of her plan.

Obviously, the Shadow had a death wish, because a ticked off Mitsuru was one of the worst ways to go down. Briefly, he remembered a certain trademark that went by the name of—

-Yes, Execution. As the thought crossed his mind, he felt the air about him chill, not because of the Shadow, but because of a Mind-Charged Bufudyne sent in the Shadow's direction.

It let out a sharp cry as the attack connected, and another one when Theodore called on Raphael to fire a Magarudyne at it.

Not giving it a change to retaliate, Kanzato's Persona fired its laser beam at the enemy. Taking three of them in the stomach, it shrieked and doubled over. It reached out its hand to swipe at Artemisia, only to begin disintegrating into nothingness.

Before he could breathe a sigh of relief, he heard a commotion coming from the door he burst out of not-so long ago.

"Shinjiro?"

_Not this again._ Whereas Kanzato's presence managed to send a chill down Shinjiro's spine, what he felt then upon hearing the voice was nothing compared that. His blood ran cold, and he felt rooted to the spot, unable to move at all because of it.

A confused Minako, wearing an orange bikini, emerged from the auditorium's back stage exit, along with a disgruntled Takeba.

"Look, Minako-chan, there's nothing to see here, okay?" Takeba said in a very unconvincing manner, squirming a bit at the cold, as she was also wearing a bikini, though it was a pink one to Minako's orange.

Shinjiro couldn't blame Minako for shooting Takeba an 'are-you-effing-kidding-me' look then. He would have done the same, especially if he saw a gigantic angel, dominatrix, and robot hanging around the open field outside their school's auditorium.

Their Personas were gone now, but there was no erasing the fact that Minako saw them with her very own eyes.

Looks like they were going to do a lot of explaining, if he were to go by the way Kirijo slapped a hand to her forehead, shaking her head at the night's events.

* * *

><p>This chapter is short. Really short, for the time it took me to update. Nonetheless, hello, everyone!<p>

I apologize for the time it took me to update. I got busy, distracted, and so much more. I was also sorely lacking in inspiration for this. In all honesty, I was tempted to scratch out the part detailing the crossdressing competition, but I decided to keep it in, mostly because I've been hyping it up for several chapters already.

Not much to say, except that the premise of this story would be a lot clearer by the time the next chapter rolls around.

**Tetrakarn, BLAZ m, Inugami-chan**, thank you for reviewing.

In addition, I'd like to thank **Sino Pavor Noctornus** for the beta-read.


	10. Half Moon

_Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Persona 3 or any of its reincarnations. If I did, then I wouldn't have had to bother putting up this disclaimer. All creative rights to the characters named in this story belong to Atlus and I certainly do not profit from this story._

* * *

><p><span>October 30, 2010<span>

One did not need to be a rocket scientist to guess where the rest of the crew ended up in.

An uncomfortable silence fell upon the group as Kirijo eyed each one of them from her spot on her desk.

Her gaze lingered longer than necessary on a certain person, for a good reason. After all, he wasn't supposed to be in her study that evening. Well, none of them were supposed to be, but more so he.

Kanzato simply returned her glance with a tired smile. The Kirijo medics checked on him and simply said that he was fatigued, and that a good night's rest would do him wonders. However, he insisted on coming along after overhearing Kirijo's 'we need to talk' directed at Shinjiro.

There was supposed to be another guest that night, but she had to retreat to the same clinic as Aki. While the latter needed it because of the unpleasant encounter he had with the Shadow earlier, the former, a certain brunette by the name of Arisato Minako, had to check in because of a splitting headache that greeted her shortly after sighting the Personas that were fading away.

Even so, it didn't stop her from demanding an explanation as she was being dragged away. In pain or not, her voice was cool, and the confusion etched on her face did nothing to ease the sinking feeling in the pit of Shinjiro's stomach. That, and the consistent looks she kept on throwing in his direction, as if he would come forth with an explanation himself. Whatever explanation she wished for the phenomenon she witnessed, it looked like she was going to get from him, by hook or by crook.

Noticeably absent were Amada, Iori, and Koromaru. Understandably so, considering this meeting was out of the blue, and each had their own things to deal with. The first was probably in bed, the second taking home his date, and the last, doing whatever a dog did in the night, Shinjiro supposed.

While Shinjiro was worrying about how he was going to handle Minako the next time they met, Kirijo heaved a frustrated sigh. "Where do I start?"

That guy raised a hand, as if the arrangement was a classroom setting instead of an informal gathering of misfits.

Kirijo, too tired to argue or comment on the former Velvet Room attendant's behavior, nodded at him, signaling for him to speak.

"Perhaps, a brief explanation of the story thus far might enlighten our guests."

Before Kirijo could speak, Kanzato held out a hand as if to stop her. "There's no need." He didn't seem to be aware that Theodore was not of this world, but still.

"Indeed. You seem to be taking this very well," quipped Kirijo, not exactly in a very flattering manner.

"Considering my parents' involvement in this, I shouldn't be." Kanzato tilted his head towards Kirijo, steeling his gaze on her. "Then again, I suppose you knew that already, Kirijo-san."

Kirijo met his gaze with equal intensity, and Shinjiro could've sworn that the temperature in the room dropped a few degrees as the two engaged each other in a battle of wills, shaped in the form of a staring competition.

After what seemed like an eternity, Kirijo broke her gaze and cast her eyes heavenward. "Indeed. In behalf of the Kirijo Group, I extend my sincerest apologies for what happened to them."

Kanzato's eyes widened in surprise at the apology. Clearly, he wasn't expecting it by the way he was keeping his jaw from the ground. That moment of surprise quickly passed, and he hardened his gaze on her once more. "Apologizing won't bring them back." His eyes then softened after seeing Kirijo's crestfallen expression. "However, I have long moved on, and there was no need for an apology, really. It's not your fault, Kirijo-san, and I apologize if I have made you uncomfortable with my statement."

"I know, but…"

"I shouldn't underestimate the Kirijo Group's information network, huh?" Kanzato gave the redhead a lopsided smile. "Thought I could keep this under wraps for as long as I could, turns out you knew all along."

It was then that Kirijo noticed the confused looks around the room. "I'd explain, but this information is not for me to reveal." She tilted her head towards Kanzato, hinting that it was his call.

Kanzato shifted in his seat, placing his elbows on his lap and folding his hands. "I don't mind telling you a bit about my family, considering that we share the same circumstances," he said, leaning forward slightly. "I think all of us here can keep a secret?"

Slowly, everyone nodded. Upon noting everyone's assent, he continued. "I must warn you all that it isn't a very pleasant story, and if you wish not to hear of it, you are free to step out anytime you wish. Is that alright, Kirijo-san?"

"Yes, Kanzato."

"For starters, have any of you heard of Project Strega?"

_Strega? That Strega?_

Everyone seemed to be thinking the same thing, judging by all the anxious expression that filled the room.

Kanzato let out a bemused smile at their reactions. "You probably had a run in with one of their unfortunate subjects, huh? Hard as it was to believe, it wasn't always… like that. Project Strega started out as a research division which aimed to bring out the potential in people without it."

"My parents were the head of the team, and were also the first successful batch of test subjects."

"Unfortunately, it was a very delicate process and had some terrible side effects. Some failed subjects lost their minds, and there were also those who lost their lives due to… vital organ failure."

Yamagishi gasped at the revelation. Upon realizing that Kanzato paused in his story, she flushed slightly in embarrassment at her outburst. "Please continue."  
>"Eventually, the number of volunteers for the project dwindled, and it came to a point wherein they numbered zero, even when a generous sum was involved."<br>"It was then that my parents tendered their resignation in shame. They felt they have failed in this regard, and did not wish for anyone else to go through the same fate as the earlier subjects."

"Of course, there was some protest among the Ergonomics Division regarding their decision. As Persona Users, they could've been a tremendous help to a trio of middle school students who were out there fighting Shadows, one of them who I believe was you, Kirijo-san." He stole a glance at Kirijo, whose eyebrows shot up at the proclamation, but nodded anyway. "However, they no longer wanted anything to do with it, and cut ties with the Kirijo Group."

"I believe your father respected their decision, and that would've been the end of it, if not for a certain incident that happened last January 31."

_January 31st._ Shinjiro frowned at the date. Wasn't that the day they fought Nyx, according to Aki? Though Shinjiro was not present during the battle, he vaguely recalled seeing Minako inside some sort of chamber, fighting an egg-like creature. Did something else important happen on this day?

Kanzato took a deep breath, as if the memory of that day pained him. "January 31. It's strange how people forgot the amazing phenomenon that day. I'm not sure if you all remember, but it was the night when the moon… 'split open' to reveal its true colors."

"That strange phenomenon aside, it was a night when we were enjoying some family time out by the pier. It was a great surprise when the clock struck midnight, and… the world turned green and the ocean turned into blood."

Kanzato scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Does that make sense to you? I'm sorry if it seems farfetched, but that's how it was."

Kirijo closed her eyes, a slightly amused smile playing on her lips as Kanzato voiced his worries. "You speak of a phenomenon called the Dark Hour, one that all the people in this room have experienced. Do continue."

Kanzato looked relieved to hear that, and Shinjiro could not help but sympathize. After all, what would a room full of strangers think of you after you share something as outlandish as that? One would certainly have a few screws loose to believe in something like that, but then again, this was the supernatural they were dealing with.

"Our parents seemed to be taking the turn of events quite calmly, though they did throw some puzzled looks in our direction. By 'our', I mean me, my younger sister, and two younger brothers."

"Mom seemed to take it as a signal to leave, and we were in the middle of packing up when Dad sighted a figure staggering towards us."

"She was a woman with bright, flowing, red hair. I could not remember her clothing very well, but that was that quality I mentioned that really left an imprint in my mind."

"Once she sighted my parents, she started screaming our last name at the top of her lungs, and a strange creature materialized from her."

"She went after Mom first, then Dad. She was about go after me and my siblings when I woke to my Persona and fended off hers."

"I must've passed out, because by the time I woke up, the sky was back to normal, and the police were swarming around." A bitter smile crossed Kanzato's lips at the recollection. "According to them, there were two dead bodies nearby, two in critical condition, and one unconscious."

"…And so, I learned that I lost my parents, and later on, my sister."

Kirijo looked like she wanted to say something, but allowed Kanzato carry on.

He did not seem to notice her hesitation, and continued on. "I learned later on that what used to be a volunteers-only project took on some unwilling subjects like hospital patients who had no one waiting for them and kids off the streets. The one who approached us was probably one of them, though I never did get her name… Or discovered what happened to her afterwards."

His lips curled into a bemused smile once more. "Perhaps they clung on to the hope that there was a way for normal people to become superhuman."

Silence fell upon the group as Kanzato concluded his story, unsure of what to make of the revelation.

It was Kirijo who broke the spell over the room. "I am truly sorry for what happened to your family, Kanzato. As the head of the Kirijo Group, I needed to know these things. It turns out that the Ergo Division conducted a lot of experiments without my father's knowledge." She hugged herself. "I had trouble unearthing these documents, but I was determined to cleanse the filth inside my company."

"It's not your fault, Kirijo-san."

"I know. I merely feel it's an apology long overdue, something the Group has never been able to give you until now."

Kanzato fell silent at her words, then nodded along. "…I have long forgiven the Group for its atrocities and its indirect hand in my parents' death, so an apology is not necessary." "However, it is much appreciated." He gave her a gentle smile to assuage her guilt. "I thank you for having the courage to do something most executives of your level would rather leave behind."

His expression then turned questioning as took in the solemn looks about the people gathered around them. "So, I have told my story. If you don't mind me asking, may I know what is yours?"

And so, the story came spilling out, for Kirijo felt that at the very least, Kanzato Ryou deserved the truth.

~o~

Shinjiro idled at the back as everyone filed out of the room. Once everyone was out, he took the opportunity to approach a certain redhead who was organizing some files on her desk.

"Kirijo, I'm sure Arisato's going to search some answers from me. What should I tell her?"

"What you feel is right," she said in a matter-of-fact voice, not looking up from her papers. "I trust your judgment, Aragaki."

"Wh-" He sputtered out, completely floored at Kirijo's compliment, for the lack of a better word. "Are you serious?"

"Of course." She raised her head to meet his eyes. "Do I seem like a person who's going to joke about something like this?"

He simply stood there in shock, until Kirijo let out a light chuckle upon seeing his reaction.

"Relax, Aragaki."

"Shinjiro."

Kirijo threw him a puzzled look. "…Excuse me?"

"You've always called me by that name back in our first year as a team." Shinjiro raised an eyebrow at her. "Why not now?"

"Well, it's…" Kirijo averted her gaze from Shinjiro and began to study the floor, hugging herself once more.

"I have a guess as to what it was about, but y'know, we've put it all behind us, so it's okay now…" Shinjiro paused, uncertain if he was to continue with his next few words. "_…Mitsuru._"

The sound of her name was enough for her to tear her eyes away from the marble, and back at Shinjiro. Her mouth was agape, quite unlike the poised woman Shinjiro saw more often than not.

Shinjiro shrugged. "I might as well set an example."

She closed her eyes."…Right." Not too long after, she opened them and gave Shinjiro an awkward smile. "That makes sense, Shinjiro."

He then gave Kiri—no, Mitsuru—one of his rare, gentle smiles. "It's good to be back, Mitsuru."

~o~

Upon exiting the room and reaching the stairs, he was greeted by the sight one of his least favorite people on Earth.

He made no attempts to hide his scowl upon sighting him. _That guy._ Or should he start calling him 'Theo-sensei' now?

"What?" He narrowed his eyes at the other, not bothering to hide his dislike for him.

Theodore did not seem to notice, or chose to ignore the vibe Shinjiro was giving off. "I have a favor to ask of you, Aragaki-san."

Shinjiro's eyebrows shot up at the former attendant's words, folding his arms as he continued eyeing Theodore suspiciously. "Why me?"

"I realize that Minako-sama will meet up with you sometime soon regarding this incident. I would like to ask you to keep her involvement in last year's events secret."

"Huh." That was it? "Was planning to." He was planning to keep her out of this mess for as long as he could, and hell if he was going to come out with the whole story then and there.

"Oh." The other blinked, clearly surprised at Shinjiro's remark. Nonetheless, his face creased into a bemused grin. "I am glad we are in agreement on this matter, then."

"…Whatever." Shinjiro rolled his eyes. "Now, will you move out of the goddamned way?"

Theodore did not budge from his spot, and continued staring at Shinjiro. "Listen, Aragaki-san. I realize that we had an unpleasant first encounter, but I would like to put that incident behind us and start anew." As he was saying this, he extended a hand to Shinjiro.

Shinjiro stared at the gloved hand as if it were one of Fuuka's cooking experiments from a year back.

"You're shitting me."

"'Shitting' you?" Theodore echoed with an aghast look on his face. "How is that related to this situation? Doesn't that mean 'to expel-'"

Another day, Shinjiro might have found Theodore's lack of knowledge amusing, but he was too worked up and irate to notice the humor in the situation, and cut the other off immediately. "Then you must've read that it also means 'fooling'' if your dictionary's any good."

At those words, his look of abject horror gave way to a crestfallen one. Shinjiro might've felt sorry for him then given another person, but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to trust Theodore as much as the others did. It wasn't just the prim and proper way he carried himself, the crisp, blue attendant uniform, or the way his innocence about the world seemed fake. A gut feeling, something beyond himself told him not to trust this person.

"Why?" Theodore gave Shinjiro a perplexed look. "Isn't this what you humans do as a gesture of goodwill? A handshake, as Minako-sama once called it. Is there something I am doing wrong?"

"…You have no idea."

"Pray tell, Aragaki-san. I admit that there is still a lot I need to learn about your customs in this planet."

"It has nothing to do with that bullshit." Shinjiro glared at Theodore, daring to voice out something he realized just then, but should have realized earlier. "You're in love with Minako, aren't you?" The flicker of surprise that crossed Theodore's face then did not escape Shinjiro's watchful eye. Regardless, Theodore quickly resumed his polite smile and gently shook his head. "I am afraid you are mistaken. Our relationship will remain no more than that of a master and her humble servant, and I would have it no other way."

Right. Maybe if his tone of voice did not change with the mention of 'Minako-sama', he'd buy that.

"You _are_ shitting me. Whatever." He folded his arms. "I ain't making any promises. Now, will you get the fuck out of the way, or am I going to have to jump out of the damned stairwell?"

Theodore looked like he wanted to say more, but noticed the dangerous glint in Shinjiro's eyes and promptly moved out of the way.

After throwing one last dirty look at Theodore, Shinjiro stormed down the stairs, half-wishing he took to jumping off the second floor earlier.

~o~

November 4, 2010

Another day, the same rooftop.

The day after Culture Day, Minako managed to corner Shinjiro on his way out of the classroom. Upon blocking his way out, she all but dragged him to the newly refurbished rooftop, mercifully empty at that hour.

"Shinjiro." She bit her lip, uncertain, then unfurled her tongue and continued."I normally don't pry into other people's businesses, but what I saw in the festival-if you would be so kind to explain..."

She was surprisingly calm about it, and did not cut to the chase as he expected. He knew perfectly well what she wanted to ask from him, but he supposed it wouldn't hurt to ask what exactly she wanted to know. He couldn't have himself revealing more than what was necessary, after all.

He took a deep breath. "What do you want to know first?"

It turned out that she simply wanted an explanation of what it were the things she saw back in the Culture Festival. Generic as it was, it gave him some leeway to simply explain what Personas were for, and neglect to mention her involvement in it all together, past or present included. He was sure that if he told her about her past as a Persona user, she'd surely want to jump back in the fray. Heck, did she even have her Persona now? Regardless, if half-truths kept her off the battlefield, then it was okay if he was to be condemned as a liar.

"I see… So you were fighting them all this time, huh?"

"Yeah. What about it?" He met Minako's semi-accusing look, wondering what he was supposed to do back then when he first met her, tell her everything off the bat? Hey, Minako, I know we've just met, but here's my Persona, so believe me maybe? Yeah, that would ride well with her.

"I am disappointed that you chose to keep it from me." A tight smile formed on her lips. "I guess I understand, though. I would've thought you were playing me for a fool if you told this to me from the get-go. Still…" Her forced smile softened as she spoke. "Fighting those things… you're really amazing, Shinjiro."

"Tch," a tinge of pink flushed across his cheeks, and he quickly averted his gaze from his companion, "it's not all it's cracked up to be, Minako."

"If you need help, don't hesitate to call on me." She did a stretch, and smiled at him. "Even as a civilian, I think I might be of some help, don't you think?" Minako pumped a fist into the air. "Maybe a tip here and there, or a distraction of sorts."

"Are you off your goddamned rocker?"

"Why? Is it wrong that I want to help my friend any way I can? Come to think of it, I could dance—"

"It's not… that." Shinjiro gazed heavenward, as if praying for the strength to say what he needed to. After a moment's contemplation, he trained his gaze back at Minako, who paused in her words, presumably to hear him out. She smiled at him encouragingly, which was pretty much the last shove he needed. Couldn't say no to that smile, after all. "It's just… Why do you even bother with a guy like me? I ain't worth shit, and a lot more people, y'know, like having you around. They'd make better use of your time, not some almost dropout like me…"

Her expression clouded as she paused to digest his words.

"Senpai," he cringed at the used of the word, "is a strong person. He stands for what he believes in, and for that, I admire him. Even if he only does average in school, he gives excellent advice about life, which I believe is something more important than school smarts."

Shinjiro blinked at the unexpected compliment, and Minako took no notice of it as she pushed on. "Senpai is kind. I don't know why he doesn't like others to see the best of him, but he is. I've seen him feed some of the stray cats around the school, and he answers everyone's questions regarding cooking and such…"

He tipped his head away from her, unsure of what to say in response. Either Minako was a horrible judge of character, or what she said was true. He did not believe the former, but the latter did not rest well with him as well. Perhaps, he reasoned, psychopaths had their soft spots, didn't they? Maybe that was it.

"I—"

Her words were cut short by the rooftop door flying open, revealing a couple by the entrance. Shinjiro recognized the sandy-haired boy as the person who dressed up as a fairy during the Culture Festival—Tomochika, wasn't it? However, the identity of the raven-haired lady in a ponytail eluded him. Probably a girl from another class, as things stood.

"Kenji-san? Rio-chan?" Minako blinked in surprise after registering their appearances.

So the girl was called Rio.

"Were we interrupting something?" Tomochika asked, throwing Shinjiro a wary glance.

"We—" For some reason or the other, Minako's face turned crimson at the question, grabbing Shinjiro's wrist and tugging him towards the doorway. "We were just wrapping things up!"

And with that, Shinjiro found himself being dragged out of the rooftop post-haste.

~o~

Arisato Minako was not sure why she pulled out of the rooftop all of a sudden. Nor was she sure why she said those things in the first place. Or why deep in her heart, as she excused herself to take a break inside the ladies' room, she was so certain about her description of Aragaki Shinjiro.

Though she promised not to call him "Senpai" as was their agreement, the honorific seemed right in regard to him, no matter how much she would not admit it to the person concerned. It was not only his age per se, but the wisdom and respect that came along with the title.

Sure, she heard rumors regarding him. Got into gang fights in his early of high school. Did drugs. Before he started attending school regularly, was passing only because of his connections to the Kirijo. But for some reason, she could not bring herself to believe them so readily. Even if they were true, she was sure deep in her heart that he had a good reason for doing so.

It was not only because of the time she saw him feeding some strays at the back of Paulownia Mall. There was another source of this certainty, and a thought crossed her mind, the thought of having known him before her amnesia struck.

However, if that was the case, it begged the question, why didn't he try and talk to her about her past? Why didn't he attempt to make her remember? As if it wasn't enough that a splitting headache greeted her every time she tried to recall the events that transpired during that blank.

Though she noticed him warming up to her, she still felt that he was keeping a good distance from her. As if he would pull close one moment, then hastily extract himself from her presence during the next.

It irked her somewhat. She could tell he cared for her, but it was as if he was treating her like fragile glassware—as if she had a big red arrow plastered on her forehead together with that 'handle with care' sign that oft came with such items.

There was also the matter that he accidentally let slip back then. 'You look exactly like her!' There were time he seemed a little messed up, and sometimes mad when interacting with her, and it was that fact that made her wonder if he simply saw his deceased lover in her. He must have really loved her, if she were to note how his Persona took the form of an angel that looked like her. It was brief, but there was no mistaking the spitting image that it took, especially if he spoke the truth regarding his former lover's appearance.

There were also times she felt that he was on the brink of telling her something important, but stopped himself for some reason or the other. At first, she thought the matter of Personas and Shadows was just it, but after hearing him out earlier, she felt that there was something more to it, and contrary as it was, she dared believe that it had something to do with her memories tucked away in a place unknown to her.

In addition, there was the matter of the memories that came back to her the other day, though she would have to confront him about it another time, as their discussion was unfortunately halted by the arrival of Kenji and Rio.

Nonetheless, if there was one thing she was certain about Aragaki Shinjiro, it was that he was an important person to her. Before amnesia, or after amnesia, it did not matter. Though she knew this and all, she could not put her finger on what exactly it was. In that sense, he was an enigma. Almost as big as the mystery that was her memories, and as with the latter, she was determined to find out what it was that made her feel this way.

~o~

November 6, 2010

Once again, Kirijo Mitsuru was having a hard time falling asleep.

This time, the cause of her worry was a calendar mapped out in front of her. She ran a hand through her hair for the umpteenth time and glared at the calendar, as if it would present the answers she sought.

What connected them? She narrowed her eyes at the figures once more until they were a blur. Though they all looked unrelated, she couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something she was seriously missing here.

Sighing deeply as a headache assailed her through her musings, she leaned back on her leather desk chair, massaging her temples as she decided to take her eyes off the papers for now. Perhaps staring daggers at the papers for the umpteenth time wasn't going to yield anything. This wasn't senior mathematics, after all. Or a misbehaving colleague for that matter.

Minako's visit to the Kirijo doctors yielded the dates, as they were monitoring her memory recovery along with her general health.

This time though, she wasn't alone in her undertaking.

Not so far away from Mitsuru was a certain white-haired boxer, fast asleep on one of the couches in her study.

She had to smile inwardly at her companion's actions. She explicitly told him to go and rest, but he insisted on keeping her company, even entertaining whatever farfetched theories she had regarding the whole situation.

Despite her insistence on not needing any company, she was secretly thankful that he took the time to stay with her that evening. Even if he fell asleep, the company of something other than her desktop was something comforting.

Akihiko's recovery was surprisingly fast, though he still had to wear a cast around his ribs. It might have been due to the presence of his Persona and the amount of Diarahan they pumped into him the other day. It was an experimental treatment, but it seemed to be serving him well, if she were to go by the way he was sneaking some exercises when he thought no one was looking, despite the doctor's insistence on keeping off any strenuous physical activity.

She spotted two thick, neatly folded blankets on the other couch, and casually draped one over Akihiko's shoulders. She knew that he'll appreciate the gesture, considering how often he complained about the cold. It wasn't the first time it happened, in any case. She has lost track of the times she had to do that whenever Shinjiro and he were slumped over at the lounge, after a particularly hard battle, may it be with Shadows or with homework. It always fell on her to be the mother hen for her two charges—which was all and well considering she was the president of their club.

As she was busy reminiscing those days, Akihiko shifted slightly in his sleep, causing the blanket to slip down his shoulder by about an inch. Slowly shaking her head and stifling a chuckle, Mitsuru reached across to pull it back up.

Her fingers accidentally brushed against the nape of Akihiko's neck, and she pulled back reflexively upon touching him.

She blinked, her eyes then moving from her hand, and back to the person on the couch. Did she just imagine that tingle that passed between the both of them? Or was it… real?

Maybe she left the airconditioning on too high. Right? Or maybe it was just a protective mechanism courtesy of Caesar...

While she was staring at him, half-fascinated, half-mortified, Akihiko stirred from his sleep.

"Mitsuru?" He gave her a bleary-eyed look, and upon realizing where he was and his purpose for staying so, he shot up in alarm, straightening in his seat as his sleepy look turned into a sheepish grin. "Sorry about that. I'll get back to-"

"It's not a problem." Mitsuru waved him off, never mind if the action was barely noticeable in the dim lighting. "I was taking a break myself."

She took the time to gaze out the window as Akihiko shifted on the couch. It was the stars' time to shine that night, for their light dotted the night sky as the moon was nowhere to be found.

_The moon…_

An idea dawned on her, and Mitsuru ambled to her desk, hastily pulling out a drawer and bringing out a stack of papers on her desk.

She was about to leaf through them when she paused, another realization dawning upon her. If she needed to look at a moon calendar, she didn't have to leaf through all these documents regarding last year's Shadow activities and patterns, didn't she? She had the power of technology within her fingertips, after all. Shaking her head lightly at her own actions, she pulled her laptop out of sleep mode and searched for a moon calendar.

Her eyes fell on the dates she memorized. September 2, the day she woke without a sense of identity. October 1, the day before Shinjiro ran into her at the shrine. And then, there was October 30, the day their secret was exposed to her.

Not a full moon… but a half moon on those days.

And she thought that there was no more need to keep track of the moon phases after last year.

~o~

November 15, 2010

"Class, we have a new transfer student."

Murmurs filled the classroom upon consideration of Toriumi's announcement. At this time of the year, it was quite surprising someone would join the class.  
>"Settle down, please." She threw an annoyed glance at the class.<p>

A guy with short, jet-black hair, notably with a bunch of hair sticking out like an antennae, stepped inside the room and lazily waved his hand at the class.  
>His strange fashion statement aside—who wore the straps of their overalls on the outside at this day and age, really—Shinjiro did not understand why Yukari, Junpei, Fuuka, and most especially Aigis, were staring at the new student as if a Shadow joined their ranks in broad daylight.<p>

The metaphor wouldn't have been far off, if only Shinjiro knew the identity of the new student before him.

"Class, please welcome, Mochizuki Ryoji-san."

* * *

><p>And yet again, another update takes a while-and yes, this chapter title is very much intentional.<p>

Just to give you a rough update on how I'm doing, I recently graduated from college, and started work last June. My job keeps me busy to say the least, though admittedly, I have other distractions, such as a site called Tumblr. I manage multiple blogs over there as it stands, and I have to say, my dashboard has been a very distracting place to be. Regardless, I did promise I will see this through, ne? So an update it is.

Some of you might notice a radical change in this chapter, especially with regard to how the characters are referred to in the text. I have taken to going over my past chapters, hoping it would draw some inspiration. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, I ended up nitpicking on them and did some rewriting. It's far from perfect or complete, but I have done some here and there. It's nothing that would change the general premise of the story, just a little something that would make the reading experience a little more pleasurable and authentic.

I would like to thank **WrathieWinsre **(my deepest apologies for misspelling your name)**, OhtaSuzuke, EpicLyra, thehiddenshadow, faded-lunar-sky, KuroValentine, Swandie, Lucy ITSWD, **and** XNFE** for reviewing the last time.

And last, but not the least, I would like to thank **Droplet of Sour** for the beta read.

Feedback, as always, is greatly appreciated, and I apologize for the delay on this chapter.


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